The Ultimate Sync
by snoozbuster
Summary: Lan and Megaman have become extremely powerful, and nothing is much of a challenge. When a new evil arises, they must take their game to the next level. LanxMaylu, MegaxRoll. Contains RollxBass in later chapters. Complete... For now...
1. Darkness Reborn

Disclaimer: All official Megaman characters are property of Capcom. If you don't know what i made after reading the story, you should go play the Megaman Battle Network games (GBA/DS), read the manga (there are 13 volumes), and/or watch the show (Axess). I also am using a few characters from Megaman Starforce. This is readable without a prior knowledge of the other Megaman stuff, but I'm not explaining anything that is explained elsewhere.  
Notes: This is based on the MMBN games, manga, and some of the anime.  
Timeline: This is more or less right before the ending of MMBN 6 and before Megaman Axess. I have still to watch almost all of the NT Warrior Series. This is after the manga. Lan is an Official, but not a Net Savior. The storyline is based on the manga and games, so stuff I say will probably contradict the show (because the manga slightly contradicts the show).  
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Now begins:  
**_The Ultimate Sync_**

**CHAPTER 1 : Darkness Reborn**

(2 years after the events of Megaman manga #13 (by Ryo Takahashi). Megaman and Lan are beginning to outgrow NetBattles because of Megaman's incredible power. Lan and friends have entered 9th grade at Electown High as there is no high school in ACDC, and Lan is an Official. He doesn't like having to answer to the police much, though, and is considering quitting.)

"Two years have gone by, huh?" Lan says to Megaman. He is laying on his bed, thinking about high school and the time they beat Gregzar.

"Yeah. NetBattles are kind of boring now. Without these limiters, we would almost destroy any competition. Maybe we should try to get into Special Ops with the Officials." Megaman replied.

"Heck no! I don't even like those guys as it is! I do kinda wanna fight Protoman though. Too bad Chaud's in Sharo." Lan said.

"We get free plane rides. We should go see him and Searchman. I haven't seen them in a year or so." Megaman suggested.

"Hey, not bad! I have enough zenny for a hotel and food, and that would be fun! Could you go online and find what city Chaud is in?" Lan exclaimed.

"Sure! While I'm on, I'll book a flight." Megaman replied.

"I'll call Mom and Dad and tell them. Maybe Dad has a new gadget for us..." Lan mumbled.

"Lan, I doubt it. We already have limiters. I don't think he's working on making us stronger." Megaman said.

"I suppose. I'll call him anyway. I'll be downstairs if you need me." Lan replied.

"Okay Lan. See you!"

-  
(SciLab)

"I want that program done soon, or I'll have your job! Do you hear me?"

"Yes, sir. I still think it's a bad--" Dr. Hikari began to say, but was hit mid-sentence.

"I want it done! I don't care what you think!" The man left the room, and the phone began to ring. Dr. Hikari picked it up.

"Hello?" Dr. Hikari said.

"Hi Dad! Got any new upgrades for me?" Lan said.

"Lan! Good to hear from you. Actually...I do."

"Really? What does it do?"

"I don't really know. My boss, Gendo, wants me to make this program, but I don't know what it really does. It can be used for many things, so I'm afraid it might do something bad. Therefore I'm going to let you have it. Then I'm going to pretend viruses invaded and destroyed all my data. I need you to figure out what it does. Okay?" Dr. Hikari said.

"Okay. The real reason I called you is because I'm going to take a plane to Sharo to see Chaud and Raika. I haven't seen them for a while." Lan replied.

"Okay. Did you call your mom?"

"Yup!"

"Okay. Can you have Megaman come over to get that program?" Dr. Hikari said.

"He's booking a flight and a hotel, but after that, sure!" Lan replied.

"Okay. Goodbye."

"Bye."

(Lan's house)

"Megaman, I need you to go get a program from Dad after you're done. Can you do that?" Lan said.

"Yeah, I'm almost done. What does the program do?" Megaman replied.

"I don't know. Dad thinks it is dangerous, but his boss wants it done, so he's giving it to us and then getting viruses to attack his computer and delete the data on his computer." Lan said.

"Oh. I'm sorry I asked." Megaman said. "I'm done now. We have a a flight for the 23rd, two days from now. Heading to SciLab. I'll stream a feed of what's happening to your computer, and I'll keep a link for chips open." Megaman accessed a few files. "Name, Megaman EXE. NetOp, Lan Hikari. Password: *********." Megaman said to the files.

"Access granted. Teleporting..." an automated voice said.

"See you in a few seconds." Megaman said, and then he was gone.

(SciLab, Dr. Hikari's computer)

Megaman arrived in his dad's computer without problem. However, there was a problem inside the computer. Viruses were everywhere! Megaman established the feed to Lan's computer, and Lan's head appeared.

"Wow! I didn't think Dad let them loose so early!" Lan said.

"These aren't Dad's. They have the data signatures of World 3, Gospel, and Nebula. And they're fighting each other." Megaman replied.

"Hold on! Dr. Regal was killed when Bass blew up his flying blimp, and Sean is our friend now! I don't know where Wily is though. I thought he was arrested." Lan said.

"Wily was arrested and jailed, but he could have escaped. There might be new leaders of Nebula and Gospel. Sean didn't turn back to Nebula. I saw him recently." Megaman replied. Dr. Hikari's head then appeared next to Lan's.

"Megaman! Lan! I have a problem! These viruses invaded, and the few that aren't fighting are heading for the program! Stop them!" Dr. Hikari said.

"Hey Dad? Isn't this what you wanted?" Lan asked.

"No! I want the program saved! Other then that, yeah, it's working better then hoped." Dr. Hikari said.

"Okay! Heading for the program!" Megaman said, and began to run but stopped. "Uh...which way is it?"

"It's behind the firewalls! You know, the ones I don't let you past? Save the rest of my data back there, too." Dr. Hikari replied.

"Gotcha!" Megaman said, and began to run.

"Battle Program Set, Execute!" Megaman and Lan said together. "Giga Cannon!" and a huge cannon materialized around Megaman's arms, blasting a path through the viruses. "AreaSteal, Battlechip in! Download!" Lan said, and Megaman disappeared and reappeared behind the viruses. "Dash, Battlechip in! Download!" Lan said, and Megaman dashed towards the firewall.

"Now, Dad, do you want me do open or destroy it?" Lan asked.

"I want you to use this chip to blast a hole in it." Dr. Hikari said, and a chip materialized in front of Megaman.

"I got it! Big Wave, battlechip in! Download!" Lan said, and Megaman materialized a pickaxe and smashed it into the ground, causing a shockwave to break the firewall. Megaman ran towards the hole, only to be greeted by a flash of light, and a Navi appearing in front of him.

"Hello Megaman, it's been a long time."

"Flashman!"


	2. Final Bug

**CHAPTER 2 : Final Bug**

"Flashman! We deleted you when you were trying to take over the world alongside Wily! How did you get here?!" Megaman exclaimed.

"I was restored from backup data. However, my NetOp is still in custody, so I'm going solo. Dark Chip!" Flashman said, and a black chip floated in front of him. The DarkSoul appeared in front of him, he absorbed it, and his skin became darker. "Heheheheheh. I am...Flashman DS!!"

"Lan, Flashman used a Dark Chip!" Megaman exclaimed.

"I know. That means no HubStyle." Lan said.

"But it means Flashman is a Nebula Navi! And it also means Nebula has a new leader, or Regal is back!" Megaman explained.

"It's a good thing we're so powerful. Anyway, we have all those Terachips Dad gave us." Lan said. "This fight is won."

"But Dad said those chips were to be used in emergencies only!" Megaman argued.

"Oh, fine. If things get rough, take off your limiters."

"Agreed."

"Are you two done talking?" a rough voice said. "'Cause now I'll kill you!!" Flashman said. "Hypnosis Flash!"

"Let's fight fire with fire! Blind, Battlechip in! Download!" Lan said, and a huge flash blinded Flashman. "Now! Megaman, WoodStyle! SeedBomb3, Battlechip in! Download!" Lan said. Megaman's armor changed to a light green, and he threw the SeedBomb. It hit Flashman and exploded with a resounding THUD. "Did we get him?" Lan asked.

"I think so." Megaman replied.

"I think not." Flashman said from behind them.

"What?! How?!" Lan said.

"Like I said, I was reborn. Now I'll finish you! Dark Thunder!"

"Megaman, the limiters!!" Lan yelled. "Go BugStyle!!" Then there was a flash, and both Navis were gone. "Huh? Where'd they go?" Lan asked.

"BugStyle teleported them to a glitch in my system. I think Megaman'll be fine. He's on his own ground." Dr. Hikari said. Suddenly, a static face of Megaman appeared on Lan's PET.

"Hub....Style....Lan...."

"Dad, did you see that?" Lan asked.

"See what?"

"Megaman's head on my PET."

"No."

"I'm coming, Megaman!! PerfectSyncro!" Lan said.

"No Lan! Not there!" his dad screamed.

"See you." Lan was immediately synced with Megaman. He immediately saw Flashman preparing to kill Megaman, and he noticed Megaman was unconscious. He also saw that BugStyle had fused with HubStyle. He began to get up.

"No! Stay down!" Flashman said.

"I don't think I will." Lan said. He then moved behind Flashman at massive speed. "This is for Megaman." Lan punched Flashman. He felt the HubStyle drain out of him as it was countered by darkness, but he kept punching at high speed.

"This is for Dad." Lan said, and he moved in front of Flashman and gave him an uppercut. "And this is for me!!" Lan activated the last resort, the chip to activate the Legendary Beserker: Basscross Megaman. Lan could feel the BugStyle merging with Bass's power, and he felt HubStyle return. He was now BugStyle BassCross Hub. Lan attacked. "Bug Gospel!" he shouted, and Bass's Gospel cannon materialized on his arm. Lan shot it, and it enveloped Flashman.

"That....will not.....beat.....me!" Flashman cried. "Dark Fusion!" Flashman seemed to absorb the attack. Lan knew he only had a little time before he had to release the cross, and Flashman was absorbing his attack! What could beat him?

"That was tasty." Flashman said. He has absorbed the attack and healed himself. However, he looked... lighter colored. He gained the energy from the attack! Lan knew what to do. Flashman had Megaman's energy inside him, keeping him whole. But, if he absorbed too much pure energy, he would disintegrate.

"Earthbreaker!" Lan said, blasting Flashman. he absorbed it, as expected. Now Flashman was an even lighter color. Lan had about one more attack. "I will finish this. Bug Vanishing World!!" Lan said. Two Bug Gospel cannons appeared on his arms. Lan leaped, and fired. The attack hit Flashman full on, and he absorbed it. Now Flashman was de-rezzing, and BugStyle Basscross Hub was too.

"I...will take...you...with me!!" Flashman screamed, and the glitch they were in started to fall apart. Dr. Hikari's face appeared on screen.

"Lan! Jack out!" he said. "You'll die!!"

"I won't leave Megaman." Lan said calmly. "I'm not afraid to die. But, Dad, I've been in worse." Lan flashed a grin.

"Lan, no!!" Lan dismissed the Basscross.

"I will come back." And the glitch was auto-fixed by the computer.

"Lan... you idiot." Dr. Hikari said. He went across the room to Lan's body. It seemed to stir, but Dr. Hikari could find no vital signs. Then he heard Lan's seemingly dead body talking.

"Megaman.....we got out....but where are we?" Lan said.


	3. Unknown Area

Okay, for those of you reading, I'm going to try to update every Saturday or so. I am human, and I do have school, chores, life, etc. so if I get it out a little late, I'm sorry (another reason I might get it out late is because my parent's computer is the only one with internet, so I have to ask them to use it... depressing, eh?). I did upload this one early because I doubt I will have access to a computer on Saturday... Anyways, enjoy!

**rath: **Yeah, the battle scenes should be longer in the future... I'm not too good with battle scenes, as you noticed.

**Bubbace: **I might give them the Green Dragon... cause I like the ninja form from MMSF 2... And in Axess, he crossfuses quite often... not just once. I have seen all the Axess shows, and I just finished watching the NT Warrior series.

**iris rainbow: **hmm... They get weaker as the story progresses... I forgot about Chaos Unison... Hmm... That could be useful. I have read the manga (It's just about the only Megaman stuff that goes into detail about HubStyle), and I have seen all the Axess and NT Warrior shows, as I have said before.

* * *

**CHAPTER 3 : Unknown Area**

"So Megaman," Lan said, "where are we?" Lan and Megaman had become seperated, and Lan's conciousness was in the Net.

"We are...um...hey Lan?" Megaman said.

"Yes?"

"I don't know."

"Well, jack out!"

"I can't."

"We could go FullSyncro."

"We could try."

"Let's try then."

"Okay.." Lan and Megaman tried to go FullSyncro, but it didn't work.

"Any other bright ideas?" Megaman said.

"A Dimensional Area!" Lan said.

"We don't have one." Megaman said.

"No! We're in one!" Lan said.

"Really? Odd. Aren't we supposed to be fused in a Dimensional Area?"

"Yeah."

"Well, that means we're in the real world." Megaman mused.

"We might as well see why an Area is set up here." Lan said.

Megaman and Lan were walking towards the only building in the area, a one-story shack.

"I wonder how a shack is putting up an Area." Lan mused.

"We'll find out soon enough." Megaman replied. They had reached the shack, and stepped inside. "Anybody home?" Megaman called, but no answer.

"Let's find the lights." Lan said. They stumbled around for a while, and found a lightswitch. Lan turned it on. A bright light flooded the shack, and they saw boxes, crates, and a platform elevator.

"That's new." Megaman said.

"Let's get on." Lan replied. They got on, and pressed the button for down. As the elevator lowered, they saw Dimensional Area generators, tubes, computers, and more tubes. When the elevator stopped, they saw a funny old man.

"You're here." the old man said. Lan thought the voice was familiar.

"Who are you?" Lan asked. Megaman just gaped. "Megaman, what's your problem?"

"You don't know who that is?"

"The voice sounded familiar.."

"It's... Grandpa!!" Megaman exclaimed.

"You got it!" Gramps said.

"But... you're dead! The rest of you disappeared when we destroyed Alpha!" Lan said.

"On the contrary. I was living when you saw that. I needed everyone to think I was dead. Your dad is the only one who knows."

"We need to go back. Back to our home." Lan said.

"I will send you back. But first, I need to tell you something. Those files your dad wanted you to get. They are copies of my work. Your dad doesn't know what they do, but I do. The file Gendo wants your dad to make is a forced-syncro program. It forces a Navi and NetOp to sync. It would be very dangerous to NetOps who aren't ready." Gramps said.

"Can you send us back so we can get it?" Lan asked.

"I can." Gramps went back to a computer, and pressed a few keys. "I'll see you." Then a flash of light, and they were gone. Back at SciLab, Lan had woken up, and Megaman was getting the files.

"Dad? I need to tell you something." Lan said. "I saw Gramps."

"You what?! Where?" Dr. Hikari replied.

"It's okay. He told me you were the only one who knew he was still alive. He's reasearching Dimensional Areas in a shack with a platform elevator. He told me the files were a force-syncro program, and he was the original maker of it." Lan said.

"But...I know where Gramps is, and he doesn't live in a shack."

"Was it all...a dream? But Gramps told me something. Something I couldn't know." Lan said, visibly confused.

"You were in a glitch made by Megaman right before. That could have something to do with it. Your conciousness must have been seperated from your body and walking in the real world." Dr. Hikari suggested.

"But, that would be impossible. My body would die. But we were in a Dimensional Area. Maybe....we were on the Net, and Gramps was researching a reverse Dimensional Area. One that takes humans into the cyberworld." Lan said.

"That could be." Dr. Hikari said. They sat, pondering.

"I'm back! Did you miss me?" Megaman said.

"There you are! That took longer than expected." Lan said.

"I had to kill the rest of the viruses." Megaman replied. "But, I have the files. What should I do with them?"

"Where did you put them to carry them?" Dr. Hikari said suspiciously.

"I installed them. Was that a bad idea?" Megaman said innocently.

"YES, YOU MORON!!!!" Dr. Hikari yelled.

"Just kidding." Megaman said. Dr. Hikari fainted.

"Hmm. Maybe you should cut down on the jokes, Megaman." Lan said, said, looking at his father.

"Do you really think so?" Megaman replied, feigning idiocy. "Well, I wanted to tell you something anyway. I did kill the viruses, but I looked at all the files I rescued." Megaman said, immediatly serious.

"You did what?! Dad will kill you! But, I do wonder... what was in those files?" Lan asked.

"Hahaha! I know you well. I'll copy them to the PET, and you can look at them from there. I added a description of the hard-to-understand ones. But the big ones are the forced-syncro program, a program to fuse more than two Navis, and a couple of other things...." Megaman told him. Dr. Hikari was waking up.

"Don't do that again." Dr. Hikari said.

"I won't." Megaman said. "I got the stuff. Here."

"No, you keep it. I can't be seen with it now. I'm gonna have to go abroad to cover this up, so I won't see you two for a while. You need to go now. Bye." Dr. Hikari said. "Have fun on your trip."

"See you!" Lan and Megaman said together. "Let's go home, shall we, Lan?" Megaman said.

(Lan's house)

Megaman yawned. "Let's go to bed. We have to say goodbye to everyone at school tomorrow. We'll be gone for a week." he said. Lan yawned.

"Okay, Megaman. Good night." Lan said as he got into bed.

* * *

Thank you for all your ideas and reviews! Please R&R some more!


	4. Meeting With Destiny

**PEJP Bengtzone: **Yeah, I've seen all of the NT Warrior and Axess series... Never heard of the Beast series, though. I'll have to look that one up. I may or may not use the Starforce forms... I just will have Geo in for a few chapters as a cameo. Lan crossdressing as Aki (again) might be funny, though. Do remeber that this is after NT Warrior... I forgot what Anette's Navi was called, so thanks for the reminder. By the way... what did you mean by insults? I don't remeber putting any in... I'll go check though.  
Everyone, thanks for reading and reviewing!

Author's Notes:  
In the third chapter, I mentioned a Dimensional Area. Because this story is before Axess, You might think I messed up. No. The Dimensional Areas are under construction, and since Lan is an Official, he's heard of them. There is something later in the story that is extremely similar to the Dimensional Area, kinds like the predecessor of it.

**

* * *

**

**CHAPTER 4** **:** **Meeting with Destiny**

"Lan, it's time to get up!" Megaman said.

"Five more minutes..." Lan said, and turned over in his bed.

"Don't make me use the foghorn." Lan immediately sat up.

"Last time you did that, everything in my room flew to the walls. I'll get up." Lan said. He got out of bed and got dressed. He grabbed Megaman's PET and headed downstairs. "Morning, Mom!" Lan said.

"My, honey, you're up early." Mom said.

"Yeah, Megaman threatened to use the foghorn." Lan replied.

"Oh. Megaman, don't do that unless you really have to. Last time I heard it from across the street." Mom said.

"Okay, Mom." Megman said. "But he has to say goodbye to everyone today. His flight leaves at 3:00 A.M. tomorrow."

"What?! Why did you book a flight for that early?!" Lan said.

"It was the only thing I could find. Sorry." Megaman said, but in such a tone that everyone knew it was on purpose.

"Oh well. Anyway, I need some food. What's for breakfast?" Lan asked.

"Pancakes and curry." Mom said.

"Odd combo." Lan replied.

"Yeah, well I'm kind of low on supplies. Sorry." Lan finished eating in a few minutes.

"Thanks Mom! See you!" Lan said, hurrying out the door. On the way to the Metroline, he met Dex.

"Yo! Will you walk with me?" Dex said.

"Sure!" Lan said. Lan and Dex were talking when a dark-haired woman with black sunglasses stopped them.

"Are you Lan Hikari?" the woman asked.

"Why do you want him?" Lan replied.

"I need a program his NetNavi has."

"How come?"

"I need it for Wil--Why am I telling you this?" After the woman left, Dex was confused.

"What was that about?" Dex asked.

"That was Needleman's NetOp, Ms. Yuri. She wanted to fight Megaman. It was slightly odd that she didn't recognize me, though." Lan said.

"Oh." Lan and Dex got to school without any other interruptions. Maylu met them outside the school. She was just arriving.

"Hi, Lan!" Maylu called, running over to them. Dex winked at Lan, and left.

"Hi, Maylu! What's up?" Lan replied. They started walking to their first class.

"I'm going to Sharo for a Netbattle contest! Isn't that cool?" Maylu said, obviously excited.

"Yeah! When are you going?" Lan said.

"My plane leaves tomorrow at 3:00 A.M." Maylu said.

"No way." Lan said, in shock.

"What?"

"I'm on that same plane." Lan said. "I'm going to visit Chaud and Laika."

"How cool! Maybe we can sit together!" Maylu said.

"Yeah! I don't know anyone else on the plane, so sure!" Lan said. They arrived at their first class, Advanced Netbattling. Maylu was getting really good, and so was Dex. He was almost a hard opponent because he had obtained PerfectSyncro. He couldn't use HubStyle, but he still was hard. "See you later!" Lan said, walking to his seat.

"Okay class! Rollcall!" Ms. Mari said. She proceeded to take roll. "Okay class. We're going to talk about PerfectSyncro today. I know all of you can go FullSyncro, and a few can use PerfectSyncro, and only Lan can use HubStyle. But, we will talk about it anyway. Who can tell me how PerfectSyncro is obtained?" Lan decided not to answer, even though he knew all the answers. Dex raised his hand. "Yes, Dex?"

"You have to obtain your Navi's complete trust, and have a Sync level of 99% or higher." Dex said. He was proud to know the answer for once.

"Correct, Dex." Ms. Mari continued to talk, but Lan was talking to Megaman.

"Megaman, I have an idea for a joke. Go into the blackboard at make it say:

'Isn't Ms. Mari a drag? We all know this, right? Anyway, I'm leaving  
tomorrow for a week.  
---Lan'"

"Are you sure, Lan?" Megaman said.

"Yeah! It'll be funny!"

"Okay..."

"Now, Lan. Can you tell us about HubStyle?" Ms. Mari said.

"Umm.. I can try. HubStyle is a product of PerfectSyncro. Me and Megaman can use it because he was my twin brother, Hub. He died when he was two, and my dad found a way to put his DNA into a Navi. He then made me from the same DNA, but he changed it by .0001%. When we had to fight the Lifevirus, we installed the 'HubBAT', and our DNA became the same. That was the first PerfectSyncro. After that, the DNA reset to .0001% off, but the reactivated when we defeated the Pharohman and his warriors. That is why we can use HubStyle, but no one else can. I think." Lan said. Then his going-away message appeared on the blackboard. The class began to laugh, but Ms. Mari thought they were laughing at Lan.

"Stop! Stop laugh--" Ms. Mari began to say.

"Look behind you!" the whole class said in unison. She did, and saw Lan's message.

"Lan Hikari! I have had enough of--" she began to say, but the class laughed harder. Megaman's head showed up on the blackboard, making goofy faces. Lan started to laugh, and Ms. Mari turned around. Then she started laughing, too.

"I didn't tell him to do that!" Lan said, chuckling. Lan told Megaman to erase the message, and the class continued. When the class was over, Lan went over to Dex, as his next class was with him. They began walking to Mrs. Kirin's class.

"Hey, Dex, wanna meet at ACDC Area 2 around 4 o' clock?" Lan asked.

"Sure! Is anyone else coming?" Dex replied.

"Not yet, but I'm gonna try to get Yai, Maylu, Chisao, and Lana to come."

"Lana? I doubt it. She's so exclusive, especially to you." Dex said.

"Yeah. I wonder if she knows something I don't." Lan replied.

"Like a super-secret program or something, guts guts!" Gutsman said.

"Yeah..." Lan said. They arrived at their next class, History. "See you after class." Lan said.

"Class, we are talking about the prehistoric civilization, about 10,000 years ago. This generation seemed to be infinitely more advanced than us, but they still died out. Does anyone have a thought about why?" Ms. Kirin said. Nobody said anything, so Lan raised his hand.

"Yes, Lan?"

"I don't know much about this civilization, but I'm pretty sure they had a Internet and Navis. I fought an ancient Navi called Pharohman who said he was 10,000 years old in the Undernet once. I also recently heard a story about a Official team who went into that part of the Undernet and found the temple, but it was completely deserted. Just a shell. I think they died out because everyone thought they could rule the world, and a world war broke out. The few who weren't involved went into hiding, and after it was over, they started the world over." Lan said.

"That is a very interesting statement, Lan. I heard that story too. Does anyone else have a reason that couldn't be true?" Lana raised her hand. "Lana."

"It couldn't be true because... because... oh, never mind." Lana broke off. Lan became interested, but Lana said nothing for the rest of the class. When the class was over, Lana walked over to Lan.

"I need your help. The prehistoric Net is in danger, and you're the only one that I think could help. Come to ACDC Area 2 at 4 o' clock." Lana said.

"I'm meeting my pals there at the same time! Want to hang out, and after that we can save the Net?" Lan replied.

"Hang..out? You mean, just play and talk?"

"Yeah!"

"Okay... I suppose I can."

"Great! See you!" Lan said, running to his next class. Yai was going in to Science when Lan stopped her.

"Do you want to hang out at ACDC Area 2 at 4 o' clock?" Lan asked. "So far, Dex and Lana are coming."

"I want to, but I can't. I have to go to Netopia. Sorry." Yai replied.

"Okay. That's fine." Lan said. He went into class and sat down. After class, he headed to Language class, and on the way he met Maylu.

"Hey Maylu! You wanna come to ACDC Area 2 after school?" Lan asked.

"Sure! Who else is coming?" Maylu replied.

"Dex and Lana." Lan replied.

"You got Lana to come? Wow, I wonder why she's coming." Maylu said.

"Something about the prehistoric Net being in danger." Lan said.

"Oh. Well, don't get yourself killed." Maylu said.

"You mean, you're not going to try and stop me?" Lan said.  
"No." Maylu replied. "You're responsible, and Megaman will never be defeated. I trust you." Maylu said. Lan blushed. Maylu leaned over and whispered, "Lan, just come home alive."

"I will." Lan said. The rest of school was uneventful. After school, Lan ran home, ate lunch, and went up to his room.


	5. Chronos!

**PEJP Bengtzone: **About the insults, I won't add them often, and the world isn't always smiles and roses, y'know. Anyway, that term 'AncieNet' is definatly new... and it's shorter then 'prehistoric Net'. That could be useful... Except I came up with a name for it already, so 'AncieNet' would be like another name... And, how would you pronounce it? "An-see-net"? "Ancient Net"? Or would it just be "Ancient"? That's the only reason I don't want to use it, because I can't think of a good-sounding pronounciation. Anyway, thanks for reading!

**doko: **I guess it's because they are heading to the 'AncieNet' as PEJP called it... I think it sounds cool. That's the main reason.

Everyone, please spell/grammar check your reviews, thank you!

* * *

**CHAPTER 5 : Chronos!**

"Okay, Megaman. Jack in." Lan said, pointing his PET at the computer's jack in port and pressing Megaman's NaviMark. A beam of light shot into the port, and Megaman appeared onscreen. "Megaman, head to the Square in ACDC 2. I'm curious about what Lana has to say. We might not get any sleep tonight." Lan said.

"That's okay!" Megaman said. "I rented a movie! We weren't going to sleep anyway!" Lan sighed.

"I wish you would tell me before you use my money." Lan said.

"I used my money!"

"Where'd you get money?"

"Doing a job for Roll."

"She paid you?!"

"She wouldn't let me go off without it." Lan sighed again.

"Oh well." Lan said. "Hey look! There's Roll, Gutsman, and... Lana's Navi? She looks strong." Megaman ran over.

"Hi! Am I late?" Megaman said.

"No, we just got here too." Roll said. Each of the Navi's NetOps were on a screen above their Navis.

"Megaman, you wanna battle, guts guts?" Gutsman said.

"Sure! But a short one, I have to see what Lana and.... what's your name?" Megaman turned to Lana's Navi.

"I'm Gen." the Navi said. "Nice to meet you." She was in grey armor similar to Megaman's, but, unlike Megaman, she wore no helmet, and had dark brown hair that ran down to her knees. The only other difference was there was no power pack on her back. Her NaviMark was a small black person with a bigger white person behind it.

"Nice to meet you too! Yai couldn't come cause she had to go to Netopia, but I think you know her and her Navi, Glyde, right?" Megaman replied.

"Yes, I know them." Gen replied. "Anyway, there should be time..."

"Okay! Gutsman, let's go!" Megaman said.

"Megaman, battle routine set! Execute!" Lan said, and Megaman entered battle mode.

"Gutsman, battle routine set! Execute!" Dex mirrored.

"Hey Dex, let's have some fun. We have to fight this battle in PerfectSyncro. First to get knocked out of it loses." Lan said.

"You got it! PerfectSyncro, Gutsman!" Dex replied.

"PerfectSyncro!" Lan said. "HubStyle!" Megaman's body began to change.

"CyberSword, Battlechip in! Download!" Lan said, slotting the chip. Megaman's hand morphed into a sword, and he charged. Gutsman almost dodged, but Megaman scored a hit, doing some damage.

"Timebomb!" Dex said, inserting the chip. A bomb appeared in Gutsman's hand. He threw the bomb right before it exploded, and it scored a direct hit on Megaman.

"Megaman! Let's attack, point blank!" Lan said.

"Roger!" Megaman replied. He began to charge at Gutsman.

"You think that will hurt, guts guts?" Gutsman said.

"Nope! But this will!" Megaman said.

"ElecBlade! DoubleHit! Battlechips in! Double download!" Lan said, and an electric sword materialized on each hand. Megaman dashed behind Gutsman and held the swords in a X on Gutsman's neck.

"What now, Gutsman?" Megaman chided.

"AreaSteal!" Gutsman disappeared from Megaman's grip and reappeared behind him. "GutsPunch!" Gutsman wound up and fired, scoring another direct hit. Megaman flew forward and landed on his face. Megaman groaned.

"Recovery 300!" Megaman's wounds healed and he stood up. "HolyPanel!"

"Program Advance, BigHeart!" Roll appeared and began to attack with her antennae. When she finished, she healed Megaman to full.

"Sanctuary, LifeAura!" The field turned into a mass of shining HolyPanels and a black aura surrounded Megaman. "Finish it, Megaman! Sword!"

"Program Advance! LifeSword1!" Megaman formed the glowing blade and sliced towards Gutsman.

"Beat that!" Lan yelled at Dex through the Net. Suddenly, Gutsman caught the LifeSword's shockwave, broke it, and formed his own sword. He then flew at Megaman with blinding speed and slashed for another direct hit.

"Who says you have to announce every chip you put in? That was AntiSword!" Dex calmly said.

"Fine. AntiDamage!" Lan replied.

"Program Advance, BodyGuard!" Megaman said, jumping into the air and throwing nine shuriken at Gutsman, which all hit. Gutsman fell to the ground, two shuriken sticking out of him.

"Muramasa." Lan whispered. The cursed blade appeared in Megaman's hand, and he charged. Gutsman had begun to get up, and didn't see Megaman until it was too late. Gutsman's eyes widened. Megaman held the sword against Gutsman's neck.

"I yield, guts guts." Gutsman said. Megaman released him and deactivated the blade.

"Keep trying, Dex. Tell you what, I'll give you a chip if you can beat me." Megaman said.

"Keep training!" Lan said.

"Me and Gutsman sure will, and one day we'll beat you. You'll see!" Dex said in a friendly rival's way.

"Okay. I have to go see what Gen wants, and after I'm done, if it's not too late, I'll come back." Megaman said. He walked over to Gen. "So, where is the prehistoric Net?" Megaman asked.

"Before you enter, you must know that there are many, many bugs there. They can infect you, your PET, and even your NetOp." Gen said. "Also, it is called Chronos. That is the name of the prehistoric Net."

"Sounds fun! But, what is wrong with it?" Lan asked.

"It is deteriorating. It was held in a time seal, in an ancient monument. When I entered, the seal was broken, and it began to fade at a slow rate. Not only that, but the bugs are escaping. They are mostly held at bay by Chronos' guardian, but some escape. I can teleport us there. Let's go." Gen replied. They disappeared in a flash of light.

Megaman and Gen appeared in a jungle-like area. Megaman looked around, and felt that maybe he had been here before.

"Come on. We must see the guardian." Gen said, and began to run. She was surprisingly fast, and Megaman was surprised at first. When they got to a clearing, a Navi in a red bodysuit just like Megaman's with two katana swords was fighting lots of strange creatures [these look like the Metroids from the Metroid game series]. The only other apparent difference between him and Megaman was the fins on his head were almost horizontal, instead of almost vertical, and there was no square marks on his head.

"Mars! I have brought a Navi! One of the most powerful in the world!" Gen called to the fighting Navi.

"Good. Have him help me." the Navi called Mars replied.

"That is your cue. Go." Gen said to Megaman.

"Lockon! Battlechip in! Download!" Lan said, and a small visor appeared over Megaman's eyes.

"SuperVulcan! Battlechip in! Download!" Lan continued, and a gatling-type gun appeared over Megaman's arm. Megaman shot, destroying three of the enemies. There were still many, many more though, and some were heading towards Megaman now.

"Oh no." Megaman said. "I need something good for this."

"Here goes!" Lan replied. "Berserker! Battlechip in! Download! PerfectSyncro!" Lan said, and Megaman took the form of Basscross Hub. Gen gasped, and Mars looked startled.

"Mars, move! Here goes nothing! Earthbreaker!" Megaman said, and blasted a huge amount of energy at the mass of viruses. Most were deleted, but a few remained. The few that were left started to move together.

"What are they doing?" Megaman asked.

"Merging. No point attacking while they're doing that. A force field of incredible power blocks attacks." Mars replied.

"Well, there's no point not attacking! If we all attack with our best attack, the shield should break. If I've learned one thing in my travels, it's that nothing's invincible." Megaman said. "I'll use Double Vanishing World, and--"

"I'll use Generation Splitter." Gen cut in.

"And I'll use Red Sun." Mars joined in.

"Okay! Ready..." Megaman said, and they began charging their attacks. "...Aim..." Megaman said, and they got into position. "....FIRE!!!" Megaman yelled, and jumped. Gen fired her attack, which looked like a lot of sharp boomerangs and a shockwave, and Mars attacked, which looked like many large meteors crashing down. Megaman launched his attack, and all three hit at the same time, causing a huge explosion. What emerged from the smoke seemed to be a NetNavi. His bodysuit was a very drab grey, with dark blue gloves and boots. He had a mouthguard over his mouth, and this mouthguard covered one eye. His helmet was gray, with circuits all over it. His NaviMark was static.

"You've got some power. I commend you, Megaman." the Navi said.

"Who are you?!" Megaman said. He had released the Basscross and was standing near Mars.

"I am Viral. You almost broke my shield back there. Which wouldn't have been a problem for you, Megaman."


	6. A Glitch

I'm so sorry! I totally forgot to post this chapter yesterday... And then I rememembered about the time I was getting in bed, and then I forgot again, and I was gone most of today, and I'm supposed to be grounded right now xD. Sorry!

**PEJP Bengtzone: **What they get from Chronos is in this chapter... keep reading!

Everyone, do you think I should make my chapters a bit shorter? I wrote Chapter 12 the other day, and it was a little over 2,500 words. Tell me what you think!

**

* * *

CHAPTER 6 : A Glitch**

"What do you mean?" Gen said.

"I mean that Megaman probably could have destroyed that shield on his own, considering that he is fighting at about 10% strength."

"Ten percent? What is he talking about, Megaman?" Gen said.

"He's talking about this." Lan said. "Show them, Megaman." The limiters appeared on his wrists and ankles.

"No way." Mars said. "That much power... is ten percent? I'm glad he didn't take them off. It would have destroyed the place." He heard a clank. Mars looked to Megaman and saw the limiters on the ground. "No!"

"Don't worry. I have them on to be fair. I will keep it in check. Megaman suddenly was behind Viral.

"Cybersword, in! Download!" Lan said. The sword appeared, and Megaman ran it through Viral's NaviMark.

"Gahh!" Viral said, and crumpled. Megaman materialized the Megabuster on his arm.

"Do...you think....that will kill me...?" Viral said.

"No. But this will." Megaman said, as the Megabuster seemingly unfolded into a kind of bazooka. Megaman fired. A huge explosion rocked the place, as Viral disintegrated.

"You....I....will defeat....you....from the inside!!!" Viral said, and turned into a few floating paricles.

"Run!!" Mars yelled at Megaman. Megaman just stood there, as if daring Viral to do it.

"I sense a DarkChip in you. You aren't a ten thousand year old Navi, are you?" Megaman said.

"You're a Nebula slave." Lan finished.

"That's right! Smart boy. Now, die!" Viral said, floating into Megaman. Megaman immediately entered BugStyle.

"No!! I told you!! Anyone who enters that form gets corrupted and dies!!" Mars said.

"What? I've been able to use BugStyle for three years now. But I let him in for a reason. In the surface world, we are battling his kind. I wanted his memory." Megaman said.

"You...can use that form? In battle?" Mars and Gen said.

"Yeah, why?" Lan said.

"It is a cursed form. In here, those who get it die. I want you to release it." Mars replied.

"Okay..." Megaman said. A couple seconds passed. "Uhhh... Lan?"

"What?"

"We might have a problem. I can't release the form."

"Yeah, a definite problem."

"Let's just go fix the time seal. We can fix this later." Megaman said.

"Yes. It is this way." Mars said. After a few minutes of tracking through the jungle, they came to a large generator.

"How do you fix it?" Megaman asked.

"That is the complicated part. All the sensors show that everything is normal, but the time seal is missing. I think that a virus is in it." Mars replied.

"Or it needs new batteries." Megaman said. "Look." He pointed to a red battery shaped light.

"I can give it power then." Mars said, as he put his finger into a small hole. Electricity coursed through the air. Then Mars flew back.

"It...was a virus. That...was a....decoy." Mars said faintly, then passed out.

"Gotcha." Megaman said quietly. He turned to the generator. "Come out and fight!" Megaman said. A Navi emerged from the generator. "No! How can Nebula have found this place?" Megaman exclaimed.

"So, you remember me, Megaman. But I am not the Navi you remember." the Navi said.

"Yeah, I know. You have a DarkChip, you're really strong, yeah yeah. I beat Flashman already." Megaman said. "You're Plantman II."

"Yes. I think you will bow to my power. Especially because you have Viral eating away at your program." Plantman said.

"Just die." Megaman replied. He dashed behind Plantman with massive speed and whipped out the Megabuster. But when it materialized on his hand, it was de-rezzing.

"WideBlade! BattleChip in! Download!" Lan said, and the sword took the place of the Megabuster. Megaman attacked, but when the sword hit Plantman, it shattered.

"See? This is what Viral does. And right about now, your PerfectSyncro will split...and your conciousness will enter the Cyberworld." Plantman said. At the moment he said that, Lan appeared next to Megaman.

"This could be a problem." Gen said.

"Megaman, do you think we could go into FullSyncro?" Lan said. "I don't like being here. It reminds me of something, but I can't place it."

"I can try." Megaman replied. Lan and Megaman ran towards each other....and smacked into each other.

"Oof!" Lan said. "Uhh...Megaman? I can't operate you like this. You have no chips."

"Oh. Snap."

"You see? You are weak. You can't use your weapons, you have no chips, and you are being eaten away." Plantman said.

"Maybe. But, I can use BugStyle. I know its attacks, weaknesses, and strengths." Megaman replied. He glowed for a second, and then stood there.

"Lan? I can't move." Megaman said.

"See? Viral has now immobilized you. I think you are helpless. Now die!!" Plantman said, and reached his arm out. Vines sprouted from the ground and headed towards Megaman.

"Use the forced-sync program!" Lan said. "It's our only hope!!" Megaman activated it, and a shockwave erupted from Megaman. The vines withered and died, and Plantman was thrown back. Then something odd happened. Megaman's armor began to fall off!

"Megaman! What's wrong?!" Lan said.

"I'm not Megaman anymore." Megaman said. "I'm Hub." The armor was almost completely gone, except for his helmet. Then that seemed to disappear. The face that emerged was solemn, with brown hair and green eyes. Hub's skin was almost a shiny white. Hub looked almost exactly like Lan, but older.

"So that's what you would look like if you still lived." Lan mused.

"Viral, you can come out now. Bugfix, Battlechip in! Download!." Hub said. A few particles floated out of him. Hub materialized a samurai sword in his hand, and sliced the remains of Viral.

"Viral, deleted." A computerized voice said.

"How did you do that?" Lan asked. "You're human now, aren't you?"

"Yes, but I've been transforming my arm for many years. I've gotten the hang of it. As for the chip, I learned how to operate a Navi before I died." Hub replied. "You can do it too. Just imagine your arm as a weapon." Lan closed his eyes, and his arm began to de-rezz. Soon, it was a Vulcan. Lan opened his eyes.

"I did it! But, why did the program make your armor fall off?" Lan asked.

"Because, the program increases your Sync level. To sync at a higher level, I had to become Hub."

"Hey guys, I'm still here." Plantman said.

"Oh." Lan replied.

"Lan, let's show him who's better. LifeSyncro!!" Hub said, and Lan disappeared. Megaman's armor began to cover Hub again, but his arms and legs seemed to be de-rezzing [think of the Megaman manga in where Megaman is fighting Bass and he has to focus his power into one finger. LifeSyncro looks something like that].

"Hey, Megaman? Do you have the limiters on?" Lan asked, so that only Megaman could hear.

"Yup. We can beat him with them." Megaman said from inside.

"Haha! You are de-rezzing! Your sync is a failure!!" Plantman mocked.

_Why are we de-rezzing? I don't feel pain..._ Lan asked Megaman.

_We aren't. LifeSyncro allows us to manipulate our data freely. We don't have much control over it right now, so it looks like we're damaged._ Megaman replied.

"Prepare to die!!!" Plantman raged. "Leaf Storm!!" A huge flurry of leaves whipped around Plantman, then flew to Megaman. The leaves swirled around Megaman, and there were so many that you couldn't see him. When they died down, Megaman was lying on the ground, damaged badly.

"Megaman!" Gen cried out, but he didn't move.

"Ha! Your pitiful 'LifeSyncro' didn't save you." Plantman said, walking over to Megaman. "I will kill you, and claim superiority in the ranks of Nebula!" Plantman materialized a BambooSword on his hand, and aimed at Megaman's head. He stabbed, but Megaman disappeared.

"What? Where'd he go?" Plantman said, obviously baffled.

"I'm right here." Megaman said, in a dark voice. He was behind Plantman, with two Z-Cannons aimed at Plantman's head.

"What? How?" Plantman said.

"We feigned damage. We took none at all from your attack." Megaman said, and fired the cannons.

"Plantman, deleted." the computerized voice said.

"Easy. Now, let's restart this generator."


	7. Resilient Enemies

Yay, Chapter Seven! After I'm done with this fic, I'd like to try and make a MM/Evangelion crossover. I just need... A plot and someway to make it work. Anyone have ideas?

**PEJP Bengtzone: **No, nothing special happens with the generaotr. I definatly could put Django/Otenko in the story, as they both appeared in the games (Even Sabata... 'Save that I've never played a Boktai game or even know what he looks like). Have you ever read Anime Master ZERO's fic RockmanEXE : The College Years? It has refs to Django/Otenko in the third season, I believe. Also, at the end of the second season, a Boktai-otaku named Noah Kaiyou, who carries a Sabata plushie everywhere, joins their team... I highly recommend the fic. I dunno about Solid Snake or Shobu... I've actually never heard of Duel Masters (Unless it's Yu-Gi-Oh, and I'm sure that's Dual Monsters), and I've never played Metal Gear, so I have no idea how Snake acts (have you ever seen Metal Gear Awesome? Look for it on Youtube/Newgrounds). About the 2,500 word chaps... Most fics I've read are about 1,000-1,500... Even the above mentioned fic has about that many. Well, I won't shorten it. Thanks for reading!

**

* * *

**

**CHAPTER 7 : Resilient Enemies**

"I don't know how." Gen said. Megaman stopped.

"You say what now?" Megaman asked.

"I said, I don't know how to start it. Only Mars knows how." Gen replied.

"Well, that could be a problem." Megaman said. He materialized a visor. "According to these scans, the time seal will collapse in about ten minutes. It also appears Mars will be out for the rest of the day." Megaman said.

"Well, what are we going to do?" Lana said.

"We will figure it out on our own." Megaman said. "Let's see... we beat Plantman, so all we should need to do is turn it on. Now, where's that on switch..."

"Umm..." Gen replied. They looked for a few minutes, but couldn't even find any controls at all. "There is that hole Mars put his finger in. We could try that." Gen suggested. Megaman walked over to the hole. He reached out, and the generator started.

"What? I didn't do anything..." Megaman said.

"No, but according to the PET, you have a power output of about 1.5 teravolts. The machine must have tapped your power and restarted." Lan said. "Y'know, I still feel like I've been here before..." Megaman heard a roar in the distance.

"That's it! This is where Gregar and Falzar resided!" Megaman said.

"You...know of the legendary creatures?" Gen asked.

"Yeah! Two years ago, I accidentally absorbed some of Gregar's power with my DoubleSoul. Then my rival Bass used his power to absorb Falzar. I have a Battlechip that allows me to 'Beast Out', but it is not Gregar that I fuse with. It is a specially engineered chip that gives me his powers." Megaman replied.

"You...have incredible power. The creatures are rising again. Will you destroy them?" Gen asked.

"How are they back? We decimated them before. I was thrown into a rift, on a small platform. Eventually, other platforms appeared, and a whole Net. I was smart enough to realize they were making a new Net, and stood at the gate, waiting." Megaman replied.

"The First Law of Thermodynamics states: 'Matter cannot be created nor destroyed'. Some data, if it has enough will, can bypass deletion. It can escape destruction, and reappear somewhere else, like you. So, Megaman. You wield the ultimate program, Iris. You have incredible power. You have a bond with your friends. Will you destroy them?" Gen said.

"Yes." Megaman and Lan said together.

"Good. Take my power. Use the DoubleSoul." Gen said, and Megaman's NaviMark began glowing. Gen disappeared, and Megaman flashed. When Gen could see again, She was seeing out of Megaman's eyes. Megaman was in a grey bodysuit, and his hair was much longer. He had no helmet, save a headband with Gen's NaviMark. He seemed to have more control over LifeSyncro now.

"Lan, let's have some fun. Activate the Terachips." Megaman said.

"Legendary Beserker! Gregar Beastout! Battlechips in! Double download!" Lan said. Megaman shone, and a slash appeared across his symbol. His beast form appeared, and he became Life GregarCross Gen. "Take off the limiters." Lan said, and the weights fell off. Megaman wielded incredible power he wasn't sure his program could handle. The Basscross glitch had been fixed, but Beastout and a DoubleSoul with it?

"We will destroy it." Lan said to Lana. Megaman dashed off at lightspeed toward the roar. When he arrived, he saw Gregzar, but it was faint, like only parts of its data was together.

"This is a piece of cake." Megaman said. "At this level of power output and its combat level, literally all we have to do is touch it."

"Things are never that easy. I scanned him, and if you were to touch him, your finger would go through his body. His data is all over the place, creating an illusion that he is there. We would have to hit his entire body to destroy him." Lan said.

"Well then, we have enough power." Megaman said. He floated into the air, and two Beast Cannons appeared on his arms.

"Double Beast Meteor!" Megaman said, and fired. A massive blast barreled into Gregzar, and he disappeared.

"Gregzar, deleted." the automated voice said.

"That was easy..." Lan said. Megaman dismissed the Basscross and now was LifeGregar Gen. He dashed back to Mars, and released the DoubleSoul and the Beastout.

"I'm tired. Really tired." Megaman and Lan said.

"I can imagine. It is now seven o' clock in the real world. You should be getting back." Gen said. "Thank you for your help." Megaman clamped the limiters on, and they disappeared.

"You're welcome. I'm going to go back to my friends now. If you need help, just email me. Here's my email." Megaman slipped a small slip in Mars' hand. "Gen, can you teleport us back?"

"Yes. hang on..." Gen replied, and they both disappeared.

"I will call you back..." It seemed that Mars' unconscious body said it, but they weren't sure.

(ACDC Area 2)

Megaman and Gen appeared in ACDC Square. Gutsman and Roll were there.

"Hey guys!" Megaman called. "Whatcha been up to?"

"Well, we saw Chisaou's Navi, and talked with him for a while." Roll replied as Megaman walked up. "After that we came here, and you showed up. Where were you, and what did Gen want?" Roll asked. Gen had left to study, but it was a Friday, so Lan was wondering of the truthfulness of that statement.

"Well, apparently we had to save the prehistoric Net, Chronos. It was the same place Iris took us to have that huge battle. I found a new power, though. It's called LifeSyncro, and apparently we have a sync rate of 101% now." Megaman replied.

"Oh, wow! Good for you!" Roll said.

"How'd you do that, guts guts?" Gutsman asked. Megaman recounted the story of Viral.

"Hey Gutsman, we have to go. It's dinnertime." Dex said. "Jack out!" Gutsman disappeared.

"Hey Maylu, can I come over after dinner?" Lan asked. "I need to ask you something."

"Sure! I'll email you when I'm done." Maylu replied. "I have to go now. Bye!" Roll jacked out.

"Megaman, jack out." Lan said.

"Sure thing!" Megaman said.

(Lan's house)

"Hey Mom, when's dinner?" Lan asked.

"In about ten minutes. Come down and wash your hands please." Mom said. Lan ran down the stairs and to the sink. He then sat down at the table.

"What's for dinner?" Lan asked.

"I made American food today. It's hamburgers!!" Mom replied.

"Never tried those. Are they good?" Lan asked.

"Well, the Americans seem to think so. It's ground beef in a patty on a bun. The Americans put other toppings on them, like ketchup, mustard, lettuce, pickles, onion, bacon, and other things." Mom replied.

"Sounds good!" Lan said. After dinner, Lan went to his room and waited. After he got the email, he ran out the door.

"Be home by ten-thirty!" Mom called after him.

"I will!" When Lan got to Maylu's house, the door was already open. He went in.

"Maylu?" Lan called.

"Upstairs!" he heard. He walked upstairs, and found her lying on her bed, reading a magazine. He climbed up the ladder.

"Can I come up?" he asked.

"Sure!" Lan sat next to her. She closed the magazine.

"What did you want to ask me?"


	8. Sleeping Over

**PEJP Bengtzone: **Thanks for the info. I actually know of the Count of Ground-Soaking Blood (Anime Master ZERO's fic, xD) and Sabata. I didn't know about Snake appearing in the Boktai game.. maybe I should check into that series. When I thought about it, I had heard of Duel Masters, but never really got into it. Something I haven't got is why, in Stream/Beast/+, Crossfused characters are known as R (Navi name). What does the R stand for? Gahh, I need to watch Stream and Beast... Hmm... that gender-bender would be fun... xD It would be a different story, though.

Hey, everyone! I've been trying to make a Megaman RPG with a program called RPG Maker XP. I got the first part of it done, and if you'd like to try it, you can PM me for the link.

Sorry! I forgot (again) to post yesterday!

**

* * *

CHAPTER 8 : Sleeping Over**

"...I forgot." Lan said, scratching his head.

"Oh, come on. I'm sure you can remember." Maylu said. Lan's face brightened.

"I remember! I was going to ask why I never see your mom." Lan said. Maylu's face fell slightly.

"Well, she works as a researcher, and long hours, and she's away a lot. She sends me money, so I pretty much live alone. I wish she was here a bit more though." Maylu replied. "But, it's nice that I can come over any time."

"So, how'd you get in the Netbattle contest?" Lan asked.

"All I did was sign up. It's a small competition, so I doubt there will be many people. It's the 27th, but I'm going early so I can sightsee." Maylu replied.

"When are you going home?" Lan asked.

"The 4th."

"That's really funny. We are staying for the same amount of time." Lan said. "I know! We could stay in the same hotel! I was planning to rent one, so you could stay too!"

"That's a good idea. I could pay half the fee too."

"Only if you wanted to." Lan replied.

"Lan, could you sleep over?"

"I might. Lemme call my mom. Be right back." Lan went downstairs and called his mom.

"Mom? It's Lan. Maylu asked if I could sleep over, and we're both on the same plane to Sharo tomorrow. Is that okay with you?" Lan asked.

"Sure! Would you like me to run your stuff over?" Mom replied.

"That would be great! Thanks, Mom!" Lan said, and hung up. He ran back upstairs. "Mom said I can stay over. She's running my stuff over. You know, people are going to be suspicious when two 14-year-olds are staying in a hotel together." Lan said.

"Well, that's their problem then." Maylu replied. Lan heard someone knocking on the door.

"I'll get that. It's probably Mom." Lan said. He went downstairs and opened the door. "Hi, Mom!" Lan said.

"Here's your stuff, honey." his mom replied.

"Okay. Thanks!" Lan said. He closed the door and ran back upstairs with his stuff.

"Um, Lan?" Megaman said. "I have a bad feeling about something."

"Great. That's just what we need." Lan replied.

"What?" Maylu asked.

"Well, it seems that whenever Megaman gets a bad feeling, some sort of virus shows up somewhere in the vicinity." Lan answered. He had just finished laying out his stuff. Suddenly, a pink-purple vortex opened in the ceiling. Maylu screamed. All Lan did was say,

"That's a new one." A brown-haired boy with a mohawk dropped out of the vortex onto the floor.

"Ow..." the boy said, rubbing his head.

"Who are you?" Lan asked.

"I'm Geo Stellar... wait..." the boy said. "Where am I?"

"You are in my room!" Maylu yelled.

"Oh, sorry. I can explain. But first, what is today's year?" Geo asked.

"200X." Lan replied. "Why?"

"Oh no... Great!" Geo said. "That FM-ian..."

"You have about five seconds to explain yourself before I call the cops." Maylu said calmly with a very angry expression.

"Okay. I am from the future. In the future, my dad was trying to make friends with a distant planet, FM. He was on the space station, Peace, that was sent out to communicate with the aliens. One day, the station was no longer heard from, and everyone feared the worst. Three years after my dad disappeared, this alien, Omega-Xis, escaped to this planet with the key for the FM king's greatest weapon, Andromeda. I was out on Vista Point near my house, and wearing my dad's Visualizer. Omega-Xis hopped into my Transer--"

"Is that the thing you're wearing on your arm?" Lan asked.

"Yes. It's a multi-purpose communication device." Geo replied. "Anyway, my Visualizer became able to see the Wave World when I put it on, and Omega-Xis and I fused to become Megaman and defeat a bunch of enemies and befriend the FM king, and everything is all fine and dandy--"

"You said you become Megaman?" Lan asked.

"Yeah... Why?" Geo answered.

"If you're from the future, have you heard of a PET?"

"Yes..."

"Oh, never mind." Lan said.

"Okay. Anyway, after I befriended the FM king, he decided to go back to his planet and rebuild a different planet he destroyed. Later, another FM-ian who hadn't heard of the king's change of heart came and attacked me and Omega-Xis. We tried to convinice him we didn't have the key Omega-Xis had stolen, but he didn't believe us. Because he had time-control powers, I got sent into the past, where I have no power because you still use the Internet, and not electromagnetic waves, and he can actually change himself into data, so... I'm kinda stuck." Geo finished.

"Well, sounds like you have a real problem on your hands. Luckily you have the world's best NetOp and NetNavi, Lan Hikari and Megaman, at your service!" Lan said enthusiastically.

"You're Lan Hikari?!" Geo exclaimed. "You're a legendary hero in the future! Saving the world seven times, inventing the... wait. If I tell you too much about your future, it could change." Geo turned to Maylu. "And, if this is Lan, you must be Maylu."

"Yes..." Maylu said quietly. Lan could tell she didn't like the idea of a boy from the future falling into her room.

"Well Lan, could you maybe help me with my dilemma?" Geo asked, turning back to Lan.

"I have a a question first. If this guy can time-travel, I might have fought him before. What's his name?" Lan replied.

"His name? Umm... I think it was... Viral?" Geo replied.

"Well then, you have nothing to worry about. Earlier today, I fought him because a part of the prehistoric Net was falling apart. He wasn't really that hard." Lan said. A worried look appeared on Geo's face.

"Did you delete him?" Geo mumbled.

"Yeah, why?" Lan replied.

"Well, I don't think you did. If you had truly deleted him, I would have been returned to my time." Geo said.

"Hmmm... I can call my dad. He can run a trace using the few bytes of Viral's data that is probably left inside Megaman." Lan replied.

"Wait, Viral infected you? And you aren't dead?" Geo said, clearly astonished.

"Yeah, and Megaman used a program we got from my dad to awaken an incredible power called LifeSyncro." Lan replied, not thinking it was a big deal.

"Viral got inside me once, and I almost died. I would be very careful if you meet him again." Geo warned.

"I will. I'll go see my dad, but we have to finish this tonight. I have to go to Sharo tomorrow, and I'm not cancelling." Lan said. He walked downstairs and then called back up,

"Geo! You're coming with me!" Geo hurried downstairs and they headed off to SciLab.

"Roll, what do you think? What should I do?" Maylu asked Roll.

"Well, you should probably stay here. None of us want you hurt." Roll repled.

"I guess, but I really want to help." Maylu said, and sat down at her computer.

"Well, I might have an idea..." Roll said.


	9. Viral Data

**Kasuchi, Koichi: **A MMBN/SF crossover? If it's true, I'm buying it on release day. I heard about Sol Cross (referenced in my only favorite fic on this site). I also read the manga, so I know about Bass Cross too. I'm thinking there should be a DoubleSoul for Bass. They're friends through their rivalry... sorta.

**PEJP Bengtzone: **I forgot to mention that link in my PM, but for some reason, it freezes early in the game, and I have to fix it. Sorry.

Summers are for vacations, and I'm taking one this weekend. As such, I'm releasing late (plus I got grounded). I have a really busy summer this year, so I won't always be able to post on Saturdays. Thanks for the understanding that I'm assuming you have. (That was a joke, if you didn't catch it.)

**

* * *

**

CHAPTER 9 : Viral Data

"I can run a trace on Megaman, yes, but what are you trying to find?" Dr. Hikari inquired.

"I need you to look for Navi residue. Megaman got infected by a virus-type Navi. After that, I need you to trace the data if you find any." Lan replied. Geo had stayed outside due to 'not enough security clearance' or something.

"Okay..." Dr. Hikari walked over to his computer holding Lan's PET and inserted it into a slot. He tapped a few keys, and his eyes narrowed as he puzzled over some bits of data.

"Lan, what is this?" Lan's dad said. Lan walked over to the computer.

"Oh, I didn't tell you yet." Lan recounted the story of Viral and LifeSyncro.

"That's... incredible. Anyway, the scan is done. Is this what you were looking for?" Dr. Hikari showed Lan some data fragments.

"Yes! Can you trace it? I want to see if that Navi is still alive." Lan replied.

"Let's see..." Dr. Hikari tapped a few more keys. "Here it is! The Navi is in a fatally wounded state somewhere in the UnderNet. Lan, please be careful." Dr. Hikari said.

"I will, Dad." Lan replied, and left. Lan and Geo walked back to Maylu's house.

"Why are we going back to Maylu's? Does she have a link to the UnderNet?" Geo asked.

"No, but she is fairly close to it." Lan replied. They got to Maylu's house, and walked up to her room.

"So, what happened?" Maylu asked.

"Viral is alive in the UnderNet." Lan said with boredom. "The viruses there are so annoying..."

"Aha! That's where me and Roll come in!" Maylu exclaimed. Lan and Geo just looked at her. "Roll helped me make a cloaking device for Megaman. It only lasts for about twenty minutes, though."

"Wow! Thanks a lot, Maylu!" Lan said, elated. "Megaman, jack in!" Lan said as he pointed his PET at Maylu's computer and pressed Megaman's NaviMark.

"Cloaking device on!" Megaman said, and ran into ACDC Area 3. He made it to the UnderNet with little problem, but Viral was waiting at the gates.

"He..hehe...Ahahaha! You came, Megaman. And Geo, I know you're there too. I might be a little stronger than the last time we met. See, I've been devouring any Navi dumb enough to set foot in the UnderNet." Viral said.

"Really. That's so unoriginal. You could at least have come up with something fun." Megaman replied.

"Like what?" Viral retorted.

"Uhh... I don't know. If it's my idea, though, and you use it, it's not original, per se." Megaman said. "We don't have time for this! Lan, you ready?"

"Oh, yeah! Battle Program set! Execute! Legendary Beserker! Terachip in! Download!" Lan said, slotting in the chip. Megaman began to glow white.

"I think I'll transform too! Now, Cyber Hole, power me up!" A black hole surrounded Viral, and many Navis came out.

"Those are the ghosts of the Navis you've eaten!" Geo said.

"Yup. Now, it's time to transform. Hraaaaaahh!" Viral was sucked into the hole, and he came out a hideous beast. Megaman had finished his transformation too, and was ready to do battle.

"Sword! WideSword! LongSword! In! Triple Download! Program Advance!" Megaman materialized the Sword on his right hand, the WideSword on his left, and then held them together. The swords began to glow, and Megaman grasped the hilt and slashed with the new sword. Megaman then threw the sword like a javelin.

"LifeSword!" Lan and Megaman yelled in unison. The shockwave from the sword hit Viral, and soon after, the sword hit him too.

"Gahh! Well, I can do that too. FireBlade! AquaBlade! ElecBlade!" Viral said, and three chips appeared in front of him. Viral grabbed them. "Triple Download! ElementBlade!" Viral's arm turned into the said blade, and he slashed at Megaman. Megaman evaded, and Viral kept slashing. Megaman slipped, and was hit.

"HolyPanel! Recovery300! RollV3! In! Triple Download! Big Heart!" Lan said. Roll appeared and attacked Viral. Megaman was then healed.

"StepSword! PaladinSword! StepCross! In! Triple Download! Evil Cut!" Lan continued to download chips, and Megaman disappeared. He then reappeared behind Viral and slashed.

"Gah! Well, Megaman, you are strong. But, you cannot dodge this!" Viral began to laugh.

"BassV3! AntiNavi! ElecGospel! Triple Download!" Viral's body became engulfed in a dark aura. This aura fused with a red aura. Viral's eyes snapped open, tinted with red. "Dark Messiah!" The GospelBeast appeared and fired its four elemental cannons. Megaman jumped out of the way... right into Bass's Air Shot!

"Uwahh!" Megaman was thrown back into the ground. He slowly got up.

"Ehehehe... What?" Viral's body was slowly derezzing! "Is this...? No!" Viral's body was engulfed by the GospelBeast.

"We have to fight this guy again? Well..." Lan thought for a second. "I know! Megaman, let's go LifeSyncro!" Megaman dismissed BassCross.

"Let's go. LifeSyncro!" Megaman and Lan said. Megaman's arms and legs began to derezz. The GospelBeast roared.

"Sword!" Lan said. The weapon materialized on Megaman's hand. Megaman charged at the GospelBeast and slashed at its leg. The Sword broke through because of the increased power of LifeSyncro. The GospelBeast growled and opened its mouth to fire a laser at Megaman. It missed.

"Guardian! M-Cannon! Quadruple Download!" Lan inserted a Guardian and three M-Cannons.

"Program Advance! GigaCannon3!" The Guardian appeared in front of the GospelBeast, and the cannon on Megaman's arms. Megaman waited until the GospelBeast attacked and the Guardian punished him, then fired the cannon. The GospelBeast roared, and shrunk back into Viral. He fell on the ground.

"You have... massive power... Megaman. I have no quarrel with you. I died at the hands of a powerful enemy. I have met my match. Hah! Outmatched by a boy and his friend. Maybe friendship is stronger then I thought. Maybe Geo wasn't lying. Maybe... maybe." Viral was derezzing badly. "Goodbye... Hub." Viral was completely gone.

"Viral, deleted." the computerized voice said. The word, 'Deleted' appeared in front of Megaman.

"Jack out, Megaman. Let's go see Geo." Megaman did so. Lan turned around, and Geo was glowing.

"Thank you for returning me to my time. I am glad to have met you. Good... bye." Geo disappeared.

"... Why is it that wherever we go, we find trouble?" Lan asked.

"Maybe you're just lucky." Maylu said. "Maybe we should watch that movie you rented now. Megaman?"

"Sure!" Megaman went into Maylu's computer and started the movie. It was about some sort of adventure in which the boy gets the girl in the end (Aren't they all?). After it was done, Lan climbed into his sleeping bag. Maylu climbed up to her bed.

"Good night, Lan."

"'Night, Maylu." Lan could hear Maylu sigh. "Anything wrong?"

"No." Maylu turned over, and soon Lan could hear faint snores.

"Megaman? Isn't Maylu acting kinda weird?" Lan asked his brother.

"I suppose... Lan... I think she has a crush on you." Megaman answered.

"Are you sure? I didn't notice."

"Lan, no offence, but you are fairly oblivious." Megaman paused for a moment. "I suppose I should tell you that I have a crush on Roll."

"I knew that. Everyone knows that."

"Wow, maybe you aren't as oblivious as I thought. Well, good night, Lan." Megaman said. After Lan was asleep, Megaman went into Maylu's computer, where Roll was waiting.

"Well? What were you going to tell me?" Roll asked. Megaman blushed. "Do you have a crush on me?" Roll asked.

"W-W-W-Well... yes." Megaman answered. Roll tackled him. "Oof!"

"Well, I have a crush on you, too!" Megaman blushed an even deeper red. Roll giggled. She got off of him, and he sat up.

"I'm glad to know my feelings are returned." Megaman said. They continued talking for a while.

"Roll, does Maylu have a crush on Lan?" Megaman asked.

"Why? Does Lan have a crush on Maylu?" Roll replied.

"I don't know. He asked me why Maylu was acting kinda funny before he went to sleep, and I told him I thought she had a crush on him."

"Well, you're right! I think.... As far as I know, she does."

"I hope Lan doesn't treat Maylu any different now." Megaman said. "Oh, I have to go wake Lan. See you in a little bit."

"Okay..." Roll hesitated, then quickly bent over and gave Megaman a peck on the cheek. Megaman blushed and returned to Lan's PET.

"Time to get up, Lan!" Roll was waking Maylu at the same time. "Lan!"

"Five more minutes, Megaman." Lan mumbled, and rolled over. Megaman signaled to Roll, who whispered something to Maylu. Maylu looked at Roll funny, but then whispered something back.

"Time to get up, Lan!" Maylu said, jumping down from her bed... right onto Lan! Lan groaned.

"Maylu, could you get off me? I'm up. In fact, I never got to sleep." Lan said, sitting up.

"How come? Was the floor too hard?"

"No, Megaman and Roll were talking all night.... Can you get off me now?" Maylu did so, and Lan got up. He grabbed his clothes and went into the bathroom.

"I heard everything you said last night, Megaman." Lan said. Megaman blushed.

"Ahaha... haha..." Megaman sighed. "Are you mad?"

"Naw... You're my brother! Why would I be mad?" Lan finished changing. "Maylu? Can I come out?"

"Yes." Maylu replied. Lan opened the door. He squeaked and closed the door.

"I suppose I should have asked if you had all your clothes on, huh?" Lan said, his eyes closed.

"Yup!" Maylu answered. She had only her undergarments on.

"Well, I mind. You're my friend, not my wife." Lan answered.

"Good for you. I was testing your maturity. You pass!" Maylu said, and she began mock clapping. Lan sighed. Megaman was laughing.

"It's not funny, Megaman!" Lan whispered.

"Yes, it is!" Megaman replied. "You blushed such a deep crimson! What's even funnier is... I got a picture of it!"

"Megaman..." Lan sighed. "Whatever. Maylu, I'm coming out now! Are you clothed?"

"Yes, Lan." Maylu answered. Lan opened the door slowly. Maylu yanked it open. "Don't be so shy. Until today, I didn't even know if you knew I was a girl."

"I was that oblivious, huh? Well, I should probably tell you... I have a crush on you. Another reason I hid so quickly." Maylu's face lit up, and she hugged him warmly.

"Thank you for being honest, Lan." Maylu looked at her toes. "And thanks for not looking."

"No problem." Lan said softly. "Let's go. We're gonna be late."

* * *

**PEJP Bengtzone: **Well, maybe Viral will come back later. He has an uncanny way of avoiding deletion.


	10. Disk Format!

**PEJP Bengtzone: **I meant both... I'll go fix that right now. I don't upload them all because I'm not writing very fast right now, and I don't want to miss a week or two... No one would want that. Who knows what I meant when I typed MayxMax... Actually, I just means I don't mind reading stuff like that. Anyway, I've never heard the term 'Age Progression.' Is it like having a fic span a few years or more? I've never thought anything bad about you. Why would you think that? I've almost got my game working, I need to play it through to see what I need to change.

**Kasuchi, Koichi: **Who's CoroCoro? Capcom? That is cool though... I hope it does happen. MegamanxMedi and RollxBass is a different way of thinking... I've never been into the classic series though. EXE is my favorite, and SF is okay... in SF 2 the lack of spaces after commas is annoying, though. I might have to check those sites out.

**

* * *

**

**CHAPTER 10 : Disk Format!**

Lan and Maylu were waiting in the airport lobby. They had already gotten their tickets, and they were just waiting for their plane to arrive.

"Lan... I have another of those feelings." Megaman said.

"Right. Jack in! ! Power up!" Lan said, pointing his PET at a nearby jack-in port. Megaman arrived in the airport's main computer.

"Lan, send me a few chips for reserve." Megaman cautioned. "I wouldn't want to be beaten because you got on the plane."

"Okay... Wait, if I'm on the plane and you're here, how will you get to the plane?" Lan queried.

"That's easy. I can get on through the plane's communications system." Megaman replied.

"Right. Okay then... M-Cannon, Muramasa, DoubleSoul TomahawkSoul, AntiDamage, and LifeAura, in! Reserve download!" A faint picture of each chip merged with Megaman.

"Okay, Lan. I won't use these until you're on your plane." Megaman told the young boy.

"You might have to sooner!" A large projectile flew towards Megaman. He jumped out of the way and examined the missile after it landed. It appeared to be a hard drive. A NetNavi with a grey bodysuit jumped off a high platform and landed in front of Megaman. The Navi had a hard drive on his back, and a keyboard on his left arm. His helmet was a steel blue with a computer mouse on the front of it. He wore a visor on his purple eyes, and short blue hair protruded from the back of his headgear. His NaviMark was a computer with its insides ripped out. "I am Dat!"

"Saves us the trouble of have to ask the question." Megaman mumbled.

"What question?" Lan replied.

"Oh, you know, 'Who are you?', 'What do you want?', etcetra." Megaman mumbled a few more words no one could hear and sighed.

"Well, you attacked me. What do you want?" Megaman sighed.

"I happen to work for GUILT," the grey Navi said. "I have come for the Navi-sync program inside you, Megaman." Megaman sighed.

"Figures. Every time, without fail, when I get a new power, everyone comes after it." Megaman droned.

"That's just the way the world works." Dat replied.

"But why me?"

"You're the main character."

"What?"

"Oh, never mind." Megaman looked at Dat funny. "Let's begin, shall we? Data Format!" Dat lunged at Megaman holding a large plug. Megaman dodged easily.

"Quake1, two, three, in! Triple download! HeavyStamp!" Lan slammed the three chips into his PET and the said Program Advance appeared above Dat. It crashed down hard, doing a fair amount of damage and cracking all the panels around him.

"Download!" Dat said, and lunged at Megaman with a different cord. Megaman dodged, but Dat used AreaGrab and thrust the cord into Megaman. Both Navis were immediately surrounded with a grey light. Megaman screamed.

"Megaman!" Lan yelled.

"Ahahaha! I can feel his power!" Dat laughed manically. Suddenly, a black beam shot down from the sky and deposited Bass.

"Megaman, you're pathetic." Bass then launched an Earthbreaker at Dat, but it had no effect. Megaman screamed again. "What?" Dat laughed.

"I am draining all of his abilities! The power is mine!" Dat unplugged his cord, and Megaman fell to the ground. "HubStyle!" Dat's body began to glow with the holy power. Suddenly, the limiters clamped themselves around Dat's ankles and wrists. "What?" Megaman opened his eyes and looked at Dat.

"Maybe you should have done your research before becoming me." Megaman said weakly. "Surprise! I wear limiters."

"I noticed." Dat replied sarcastically. "DoubleSoul MegaSoul!" Dat and Megaman began to glow.

"What? No!" Lan cried. "DoubleSoul RollSoul, in! Download!" Megaman began to glow brighter.

"Why would that help?" Dat laughed. Megaman was absorbed, and Dat's bodysuit became a steel blue. Pink antennae sprouted out of his helmet. "TripleSoul MegaRollSoul! Mega Arrow!" Dat's arm formed into a blue crossbow and fired and Bass. "You're next, Forte!" Bass dodged.

"Forte? Why would you call me that?" Bass replied.

"No reason." Bass looked at Dat funny.

"Has anyone ever told you you're strange?" Bass said.

"Many times. I prefer 'insane', though." Bass sighed.

"Dat, I will be the one to defeat Megaman. I will kill all those that stand in my way!"

"Have it your way. Roll Flash!" Dat launched a stream of hearts at Bass, who promptly dodged.

"Gospel Cannon!" Bass's arm formed into a canine's head, and he fired at Dat. Dat blocked with a Barrier. The Barrier was blown away by the attack, but Dat took no damage. "Vanishing World!" Bass charged his cannon with one hand, and charged Earthbreaker with the other. "Fire!" Bass launched a massive energy beam, hitting Dat head on. When the beam ceased, Dat was de-rezzing in DoubleSoul MegaSoul. Bass formed his hand into a HeatSword and charged.

That seems familiar.... Lan thought. Then he realized. "Bass! That's LifeSyncro! Don't!" It was too late. Bass had gotten too close, and Dat disappeared. He reappeared behind Bass and slashed with a Sword. Bass yelled out and turned around.

"Hell's Rolling!" Bass launched his sawblades at Dat, and they wrapped around Dat.

"Megaman! Use this! WideBlade, in! Download!" A WideBlade appeared on Dat's arm, and the arm turned blue. The arm swung around and cut a deep gash across Dat's NaviMark. The sawblades fell off, and Megaman came out of Dat.

"I will be back!" Dat screamed, and he logged out.

"Megaman, what did he take?" Lan asked his Navi after jacking out.

"He took everything, but I managed to get back DoubleSoul, the forced-sync program, and the multi-Navi fusion program. He has our StyleChanges, our ability to use Terachips, and our limiters and the power that goes with them too, like the bazooka-Megabuster. It looks like we can still use LifeSyncro, though. This means no Beasting Out, no BassCross Megaman via Terachip, no BugStyle, and no HubStyle. Plus, he absorbed the residual data for the Terachips, so he can use them at will."

"Perfect." Lan grumbled.

"Megaman, when you get your power back, I will beat you. If I beat Dat first, though, I will take your abilities." Bass said to Megaman.

"Deal. And neither of us can interfere if the other is fighting him." Megaman replied. The two shook hands.

"Megaman and Bass shaking hands... That's something I never thought I'd see, even though it's just to seal a bet." Lan said to no one in particular.

"Lan! The plane is about to leave!" Maylu yelled. She ran over and pulled Lan into the aircraft. Once inside, the pair found seats and sat down. They chatted idly until the plane's intercom turned on.

"This is your captain speaking. We are about to take off. Please fasten your seatbelts." After the captain finished, the fasten seatbelts light turned on. Multiple clicks could be heard as the passengers followed instructions. A flight attendant walked to the front of the cabin.

"Because this flight will be going overseas, I am required to tell you where and how to use your life jackets..." The flight attendant continued with her monologue. When she finished, she walked back into a small room near the cockpit. The intercom crackled to life again.

"This is your captain speaking. This flight will take approximately seven hours. There are small video screens and personal headphones available for use. Thank you for flying Sharo Airlines."

"Seven hours..." Lan sighed. "At least I have you to talk to." Lan said, turning toward Maylu. She blushed. Megaman and Roll giggled. Inside Lan's PET, Megaman and Roll were talking about random little things. The current topic was Lan's childhood mistakes.

"... and remember that time when Lan tried to do his science experiment in the bathtub?" Lan turned a deep red.

"Megaman!" Megaman continued with his story.

"Anyway, he combined some chemicals, and the result was so corrosive, he ended up mauling the bathtub." Lan turned a deeper red, and Maylu laughed.

"It's okay, Lan. Everyone makes mistakes. Roll, do you remember the time I tried to play pirates in the backyard?" Maylu asked.

"Oh yeah... The backyard was so full of holes... Mom sure got mad!" Roll replied, chuckling at the memory.

"See, Lan? Everyone makes mistakes. Megaman and Roll have had their share too. Like the time when Megaman couldn't decide on an e-card, or the time Roll tried to surprise Glyde." Lan laughed.

"Yeah... Roll's inbox was so full from the e-cards, they overflowed to all our friends! And surprising Glyde doesn't work, you just get trapped in a high-tech security system." Lan and Maylu continued talking for a hour or so, but they ran out of subjects.

"Want to watch a movie?" Maylu asked. They turned on Maylu's video screen and scrolled through the available movies. Most of them were still in theaters.

"The new StarPotter movie! Wow, that comedy looks funny..." Lan mumbled his opinion after each movie. Maylu just giggled.

"How about this one?" Maylu pointed to a film.

"Sure!" They plugged their headphones into the jack, and put them on. Partway through the movie, Lan gently grasped Maylu's hand, and their fingers intertwined. Roll and Megaman were watching a different movie, but they were doing the same thing. Lan and Maylu's film ended about halfway through the flight, and they both streched.

"What now?" Maylu asked.

"No idea. Let's see..." Lan began rummaging through his carry-on. "I have my Game Dude Advance SP, a few books..."

"Lan, what books?"

"Uhh..." Lan pulled them out and showed them to Maylu.

"Lan, would you read this one to me? I've gotten about as far as you have." Maylu indicated Lan's bookmark.

"Well, I guess it's okay." Lan replied. He opened the book and showed Maylu where he was at. "Is this where you were at?"

"Same chapter." Maylu replied. Lan began to read in a quiet voice. Eventually the flight attendant came around with their snacks, which consisted of a bag of peanuts and a soda. Lan used the soda to wet his throat, and continued reading. He finished the book about an hour before the plane would land. Megaman and Roll had finished their movie a while back and were cuddling, talking in soft voices. Lan and Maylu left them alone.

"Did you like the ending?" Lan asked.

"I hope there's a sequel. It sort of left you hanging." Maylu replied. Lan put the book back in his bag.

"Me too." Maylu got up.

"I'll be right back." She headed towards the back of the plane. She returned in a few minutes. "Ladies room."

"Yeah, I guessed." Lan replied. They spent the last hour cuddling and chatting.

"This is your captain speaking. We will be landing shortly. Please turn off your PETs and fasten seatbelts." Again, many clicking noises could be heard.

"Sorry, Megaman, Roll." Lan apologized to the Navis. He then put the PET in sleep mode, as did Maylu.

"At least they can still chat." Maylu said. "They're still awake if they so desire."

"Yeah, I suppose. It's just that, when I turn something off, I have always expected it to just stop. I suppose that's not how it goes with Navis."

"No, it's not." A few minutes later, the aircraft taxied down the runway. It stopped near a covered walkway. Both teens turned on their PETs, and the familiar faces came into view. Megaman yawned.

"Three minute naps are not enjoyable." Megaman said, rubbing his eyes.

"Why did you even go to sleep?" Roll asked. Megaman shrugged.

"Felt like it."

"Maylu, what do they call those covered walkways you use to get off a plane?" Lan inquired.

"What do they call those plastic things on the ends of shoelaces?" Maylu replied.

"No idea."

"Exactly." Both Lan and Maylu started laughing, and their Navis joined in as the teens walked down to the terminal.


	11. Reunion With Rivals

**Kasuchi, Koichi: **What do you mean, 'fourth wall?' Never heard that term. Even though a BN/SF crossover isn't happening, a remake of BN1 will still be cool. Thanks for the info!

**PEJP Bengtzone:**An Avalon Code crossover? Man, that would be such a good idea! I got that game soon after it came out and loved it... Now it's sitting on my shelf cause I pretty much beat it. Did you know that if you get Fana really close to you and go talk to that strange old man, he will accidentally say her name is Nana? xD The page with Fana in it has like 13,000 points. Metroid would be funny too... Those could go in an omake... Literally translated, what does omake mean? Also, about that Megaman RPG I was making, the program I was using ran out of demo time, and I'm not sure I want to buy it, so I can only work on it on computers other than my home computer, so it'll be a while before I can send it to you. The first part is almost done, though. I believe I need to fix a few things and resize a Lan sprite... and make a new animation. Then I'll send it to you.

Hey, you people who favorited but don't review, please, PLEASE review! I need to know what others think.

If anyone knows where to get subs of Stream (and I really don't care if it's a torrent, as much as I hate those), please tell me! I've only seen episode 1... -sad face-

I'm releasing a day early because I'm going to be gone most of tomorrow, and I don't know if I'll be able to get on.

* * *

**CHAPTER 11 : Reunion With Rivals**

Soon after getting into the terminal and getting their luggage, they saw Famous sitting in a chair. Lan and Maylu walked over.

"Mr. Famous! What are you doing here?" Lan exclaimed.

"No need for formalities." Famous replied. "Anyway, I'm here trying to bust a NetCrime ring, but my ride hasn't shown up yet."

"May I ask who your ride is?" Maylu queried.

"Chaud and Laika."

"Hey, I came here to visit those two! Are they on the same case as you?" Lan asked.

"Yeah, and they were in the area. There should be enough room for you two, assuming your hotel is near." Megaman facepalmed.

"That's what I forgot! To make a hotel reservation!" Lan, Maylu, and Famous sweatdropped.

"I'll jack in, and you can find a place, preferably somewhere near Maylu's contest." Lan walked over to a nearby port and jacked in. "Man, I knew we forgot something."

"It's okay, Lan." Maylu said. After a few minutes, Megaman appeared on Lan's PET screen.

"Is this one okay, Lan?" Megaman showed him a picture of a nice hotel, and displayed the hotel's web page. "It looks nice, and it's in our price range." Lan looked over the activities page.

"What's this? NetBattle Simulator?" Lan mumbled. Famous stood up.

"That's a new form of entertainment not yet available in Electopia. Basically, you get to use Battlechips as a human. You put on a special suit, and multiple motors, wires, and hologram projectors make it seem like you're really your NetNavi." Famous answered.

"That sounds like fun!" Lan exclaimed. "Okay, Megaman, go ahead. Rent a room for a week." Megaman went back into the Net. Famous' PET began to ring.

"Famous, I'm out front." Chaud said.

"Okay. Is it okay if Lan and Maylu come with us? They're here too. They have to go to this hotel." Famous pushed a few buttons and sent the coordinates.

"Yeah, that'll be fine." Famous gave a thumbs-up to the two kids, and they grinned. After Famous hung up, the three walked outside. Chaud was driving a large white van. They got in, and Chaud began to drive.

"Chaud, it's funny that you came to pick us up. I--" Lan was interrupted.

"I didn't come to pick you up. You were just here." Chaud interjected. Lan sighed.

"You know what I mean. Anyway, I came here to Netbattle you."

"No. I have a mission that just came up."

"Great! I'll help, and then we can Netbattle." Chaud glanced at Lan.

"Fine. Protoman and me both know that you could be a help. Have you ever heard of a criminal ring called GUILT?"

"Yeah, one of their members, Dat, attacked Megaman trying to absorb his power." Lan replied.

"Well, it looks like another 'purge the world' scheme. What's worse is that remaining members of Nebula, the independent Navis of World Three, and a couple Gospel Navis have joined them."

"That would explain Ms. Yuri asking for me. You know, she didn't recognize me."

"Well, we have a tip that the NetBattle Simulator in this hotel is going to be under attack." Chaud showed Lan a picture of the hotel Megaman had made a reservation at.

_I thought Ms. Yuri was helping the police now... Hmmm..._ Chaud thought.

"That's my hotel!" Lan exclaimed.

"Convenient for you." Laika said. In a few minutes, the six arrived.

"While we're here, I might as well check in." Lan said. He and Maylu walked over to the front desk and jacked in. Megaman verified their reservation and the clerk gave them their key.

"Go up to your room and check it out. We'll meet you in the NetBattle Simulator in fifteen minutes." Famous said.

"I got it, Mr. Famous!" Lan replied.

"No need for formalities." Lan just grinned.

"Come on, Maylu." Lan and Maylu walked into the elevator, and Lan pressed the button for the fourth floor. The elevator arrived shortly, and the pair got out. They walked to room 409 and Lan slid the card key into the lock. A green light illuminated above the lock, and they went in. Inside was a TV, a mini-refrigerator, two large beds, a bathroom, a desk with two PET chargers, and a safe. Lan threw his suitcase onto the bed closer to the door. These beds are big, big enough for two. Lan thought. Man, my bed at home is way smaller then this! This is gonna be great! Maylu leaned her suitcase against her bed and went to investigate the safe. She pushed a few buttons, and it locked. She typed in the same code, and it opened again.

"Cool!"

"Maylu, let's go meet the others." Lan said, grabbing his BattleChips out of his bag. Maylu did the same, and they took the elevator back to the first floor. They followed a few signs, and arrived quickly. Famous, Chaud, and Laika were inspecting the exits and computer. Chaud and Laika had already jacked in. Lan and Maylu jacked in, and Megaman and Roll joined Protoman and Searchman in the computer. Lan walked over to a rack of peculiar suits hanging on the wall. These suits consisted of a metal headband with visor, and a bodysuit with bracers. On each shoulder there was a large silver pad. On the left arm, there was a single cross-shaped slot, and on the right, there was a PET-shaped slot that took up most of the pad. The right arm's bracer enveloped the whole forearm, with a slot near the wrist and another slot near the back. "What's this?" Lan asked. Laika walked over.

"That's the suit you have to wear to use the NetBattle Simulator. The cross-slot on the left arm is for BattleChips. It's a cross to allow for easier slot-ins. You put your PET into the slot on the right arm. You load your folder into the slot near the back of the forearm, and the slot near the wrist is where your BattleChips come out, so you can use them in the slot on you right arm. The visor is for Navis with tracking devices and such. Most Navis don't use it, and then it retracts into the headband." Laika answered. Just then, a suit hopped off the wall, with the headband trailing behind. Lan and Laika jumped back.

"Lan, he's here!" Megaman yelled.

"Right!" Lan answered his Navi.

"The Navi must be controlling the many motors in the bodysuit!" Famous yelled from across the room. He hurried over and jammed his PET into the slot on the suit, and the suit fell dead. "A PET overrides outside access." Lan looked at his PET screen and saw an Alpha-I type Navi with a chip slot on his left shoulder standing across from Megaman.

"I am Theman," the Navi said. A screen appeared above his head, displaying a shadowy Operator.

"I am his NetOp. You can call me Uno. Uno Terakashi."

"What are--"

"You here for?" Uno finished Lan's sentence. "I wish to take the NetBattle Simulator's main program. Theman, battle routine set!"

"Careful, Lan! He took Protoman and Searchman by surprise!" Chaud said. "The dirty coward, can't take us on in a fair fight."

"Execute!" Theman replied. Lan and Megaman repeated the lines, and Megaman's mouthguard appeared.

"LavaStage, Battlechip in! Download!" Theman planted his hand against the floor, and the ground around him began to become scorched.

"RockCube!" A Rubix's Cube made of stone appeared in front of Megaman, and he jumped on it.

"Download, Battlechip in! Download!" The lava on the floor pooled in front of Theman and formed a blazing red chip, which Theman promptly inserted into his left arm. A flaming aura surrounded him, and his bodysuit changed to red.

"What chip is that?" Lan yelled.

"I am fluent in programming code and engineering, so I make many chips. Even more conveniently, Theman's special ability allows him to create Program Advances, called Custom PAs." Uno laughed. "Slot-in, Battlechip in! Download!" Theman's left hand turned into a large Battlechip slot. "Cannon, Hi-Cannon, M-Cannon, BattleChips in! Quintuple download!" Uno inserted five of each chip, and the chips appeared in cyberspace. They immediately flew into Theman's large BattleChip slot, and it began to glow.

"Custom PA, Quintuple Giga!" Theman's arms each turned into a Giga Cannon, two more appeared on his knees, and another on his head. "Fire!!" Theman launched all the cannons at Megaman, and Megaman could barely avoid an instant deletion. Even with his high speed, Megaman still took significant damage.

"IceStage, Download, Folder, Slot-in! Battlechips in, quadruple download!"

"Custom PA, IceFolder!" Theman planted his hands against the floor, creating an IceStage, which then pooled before him. A manilla folder full of BattleChips appeared in front of Theman, and the IceChip created by Download flew into the folder. Fifteen blue chips then floated into the BattleChip slot that had appeared on Theman's arm. The slot disappeared, and Theman glowed with a bright blue aura. This aura created a huge blast of ice that froze all in its path.

"Barrier!" Lan inserted the chip. A crystalline barrier appeared around Megaman, and it blocked the attack. "Our turn! DoubleSoul RollSoul! BattleChip in, download!" Megaman changed into his pink bodysuit with antennae.

"Roll Arrow!" A pink bow appeared on Megaman's arm, and he fired at Theman.

"Download, BattleChip in! Download!" Theman began to glow, but the arrow struck him before he could absorb the remaining ice. Theman's aura immediatly disappeared.

"Roll Arrow destroys all chip data!" Megaman informed his enemy.

"Well, try this. Humanity, Repair, Repair, BattleChips in! Triple download!" Uno replied.

"Custom PA! Pure Humanity!" Theman began to glow, and emerged a shining, white-skinned human. He now had chestnut hair that flowed to his shoulders, and he was wearing a thin white tank top with blue jeans. "In humanity's original form, they were like gods. Divine Judgment!" Theman fired a massive ball of holy energy at Megaman, and reverted to his normal form. Megaman was unable to dodge, and took the brunt of the blast. He was blasted meters back, and was de-rezzing in a few places.

"Now for the final blow. GrassStage, Download, Folder, Slot-in, Slot-in, Battlechips in! Quintuple download!"

"Custom PA, Massive Folder!" The GrassStage that appeared had already formed a GrassChip, which was inserted into the folder. However, all thirty chips came out and flew into the two Battlechip slots on Theman's arms. A bright green aura surrounded Theman. "Massive Folder!!" This aura exploded into a massive blast of Wood energy, leaving Grass panels behind as it swept the area.

"DoubleSoul ThunderSoul, in!" Megaman began to glow, instead of just going into ThunderSoul. The blast passed over him harmlessly. Megaman stood up and stopped glowing. Megaman had a steel pink bodysuit, with electrodes floating behind him. His helmet had the antennae of Roll, and the point of Thunderman.

"TripleSoul ThunderRollSoul!" Megaman glared at Theman. "Thunder Arrow!" A steel pink bow appeared on Megaman's arm.

"Rope3, in! Download!" Vines appeared and held Theman, and a ball of lightning formed at the tip of Megaman's arrow.

"Charged Thunder Arrow!" Megaman fired, and the projectile quickly made contact with Theman. Millions of volts of electricity coursed through him, producing a ear-shattering cry. The vines kept the electricity in, doubling the pain. When the vines let go, Theman dropped to the floor, sparking every once in a while.

"Log out, Theman." Theman's body formed the word LOGOUT and he disappeared. Megaman reverted to normal form. Lan and Megaman both cheered.

"Good job, Lan." Famous congratulated. Maylu appluaded. Lan just grinned.

"Heh, maybe you are getting better then Protoman." Chaud said. "Come on, let's go." Chaud began to walk off.

"Hey Chaud, email me with the place you're staying and we can NetBattle tomorrow." Chaud chuckled.

"Only if it's you versus me and Laika."

"Deal." Chaud walked out with Laika and Famous. Lan and Maylu returned to their room. It was already late in the day. Maylu went into the bathroom to change, and brush her teeth and Lan changed in the main room. When Maylu emerged, she was wearing a thin white tank top and some white shorts. Lan was wearing his normal white pajamas. He brushed his teeth, put Megaman's PET into one of the PET chargers, grabbed the remote, and scrambled onto his bed. Lan began to flip through channels while Maylu read a book. Lan eventually settled on a game show and climbed under his bed sheets. When the show was over, he turned off the TV.

"Good night, Maylu." Lan rolled over in his bed.

"'Night, Lan." Maylu put her book away and turned off her light. They were soon asleep.


	12. Official NetBattle

**PEJP Bengtzone: **About Roll and Maylu... You'll see. Wouldn't want to spoil it. Probably in about... five or six chapters, though. After Lan and Maylu return to Electopia. Ah, Mamoru! And Sean... or Aki-chan! Yes, yes... good idea. Maylu suddenly getting chubby could be funny, but I don't think that will happen. Maybe. Y'know, if Megaman got infused with Metroid DNA, what would happen? (Thinking of MetroidSoul or MetroidCross right now...) That could happen.

**Kasuchi, Koichi: **Ah, okay. Dat will probably be the only one. One game where some of the characters know they're in a game is Paper Mario: The Thousand Year Door. There was some pretty funny stuff in that game. xD RollMedicalSoul? That could be hilarious, considering Roll and Medi pretty much hate each other. When I do TripleSoul, most of the souls won't be the same type. But some could be. What about NumberGutsSoul? Those two so very contradict each other, and that would make it very strong. Power and analyzation in the same soul... -shudder-

**

* * *

**

CHAPTER 12 : Official NetBattle

The next morning, Lan yawned and rolled over halfway, but his body was stopped by something in his bed. Lan slowly opened his eyes and saw Maylu laying right beside him, sleeping peacefully. Lan almost woke her up, but she looked so peaceful sleeping there, so he decided to let her sleep. He carefully threw back the sheets, got out, and replaced them.

"Now what?" Lan yawned again. He walked over to the mini-fridge and opened it. There was nothing inside. Lan pulled out his PET and switched it on. "Megaman, we forgot to decide on food." Megaman yawned.

"Well, this hotel has free breakfast." Megaman looked around his PET for the map, but he only found Roll, who had snuck in sometime in the night. Megaman woke her. "Roll, if Maylu wakes up before Lan gets back, tell her he went downstairs for breakfast." Roll mumbled something that could be interpreted as 'yes' and turned over. "Okay, Lan. Here's the map." A small window appeared on Lan's PET screen. Lan followed the map to the first floor, down to the breakfast room. Lan made a waffle, and he picked up some pastries and an orange. He sat down at one of the nearby tables.

"Hey Megaman, if Roll is in the PET, she can't really tell Maylu we're down here, can she?" Lan took a bite of his waffle. Megaman was in the cafe's net space, eating cyberfood.

"Well, our PETs are connected by wireless link, so as long as we're fairly near, me, Roll, Glyde, Iceman, Gutsman, Coloredman, Magicman, Elecman, Fireman, and Sharkman can visit each other's PETs." Megaman answered, taking a bite of his orange.

"That's cool! How did you do that?" Lan questioned, taking a bite of one of his pastries.

"Beats me." Megaman said calmly. Lan sweatdropped. In the PET, Roll was waking up.

"Uhhh... Where am I?" Roll sat up and looked around. She squealed. "How did I get here?" Megaman appeared in the PET.

"You crawled in during the night. You were sleepwalking and muttering 'Megaman' and 'warmth'." Roll blushed.

"W-w-well... I-I-I..." Roll stammered. "I should wake Maylu." Roll disappeared. Megaman chuckled.

"That reaction was better than I expected. Until today, I didn't even know Navis could sleepwalk."

"Megaman, finish your meal." The two began to eat again, and Maylu appeared in the dining room in a few minutes. She got some food and sat down at Lan's table.

"Sorry about Roll." Maylu apologized.

"Sorry? Why are you saying sorry? It's not your fault. Megaman didn't mind, so it doesn't matter anyway." Lan replied. "Just like you crawled into my bed. I didn't mind, so don't apologize for that either." Maylu blushed.

"Not here..." Maylu was a very deep crimson. Lan had never seen her this embarrassed before. He thought it looked kind of... cute.

"Sorry." Roll appeared in Lan's PET and attached herself to Megaman's arm.

"So, we're going to Chaud and Laika's place? Sounds like fun. I'll be cheering for you, Megaman!" Roll said excitedly.

"Just don't get too carried away..." Megaman thought back to a time in which Roll had been cheering for him...

-----------------FLASHBACK-----------------

"Go, Megaman!" Roll was wearing a cheerleader outfit, complete with pompoms. "One, two, three, four! Make Protoman hit the floor! Five, six, seven, eight! Megaman, I'm sure you'll do great!" Roll was trying to do some form of cheerleading dance, but it wasn't going too well...

--------------END FLASHBACK--------------

In the end, Roll had knocked over a handrail when she tripped and fell down some stairs.

"Megaman, if you're thinking about that time, you know I've learned my lesson." Roll replied, feigning an apologetic tone. Both Navis laughed.

Man... her laugh is so great... I wish she was always like this... Megaman thought. Without thinking, Megaman suddenly leaned over and kissed Roll on the cheek. They both blushed. Lan chuckled and Maylu giggled at their Navis' actions. All four finished their meals and returned upstairs. Lan grabbed his backpack and stuffed his chips into it. Maylu picked hers up too.

"Lan, what do you keep in that backpack?" Maylu asked.

"Let's see..." Lan began to pull items out of his pack. "Battlechips... School books..." Lan pulled out a PET. "Wonder who's this is?" He turned the gadget on, and a cake appeared on a very blue background, and the words 'The cake is a lie.' appeared above the cake. Lan looked at it for a few seconds.

"The cake is a lie, Lan." Megaman said. Lan snapped out of his trance, and Megaman noticed a bit of drool on his lip.

"I know, Megaman. I was just thinking about how good some vanilla cake with strawberry frosting would taste right now. Lan's stomach rumbled.

"Lan, you just ate... but cake does sound good right now." Maylu replied.

"Then it's settled. We'll get cake on our way to Chaud's hotel. Back to my backpack... Trading cards... Hmm... A deck made of Yu-Gi-Oh and Dragonball Z cards... When did I make this? A binder... Hey, it's got food in it!" Lan pulled a package of crackers out and started eating. Maylu just shook her head. "Wonder how that binder got there. Now... Three magazines I don't subscribe to anymore... Twelve pencils, two pens, and a mechanical pencil... a stack of old school assignments... my wallet, and a Wii Remote. Y'know, I don't even own a Wii. I bet this is Sean's."

"Come on, Lan." Lan crammed his stuff back into his pack and slung it on his back. The pair grabbed their PETs and walked out the door. They exited the hotel and began their walk to Chaud's hotel. It was about two miles from their hotel. Lan snapped his rollerblades on, and Maylu unfolded her scooter. On the way, they passed a pastry shop.

"Cake!" Lan exclaimed. They went inside and ordered a piece of vanilla cake with strawberry for Lan, and a piece of vanilla with lemon frosting for Maylu.

"... That will come to one thousand zenny..." the cashier rang up their purchase, and the two sat at one of the tables inside.

"Where do you think that PET came from?" Lan asked, taking a bite of cake.

"Someone at school, probably." Lan mumbled a muffled 'Yes', busy stuffing his face with cake. They finished quickly (When it comes to cake, who doesn't?) and again began to make their way to Chaud's. They arrived quickly and made their way to his room. Lan knocked on his door, and it soon opened. Inside the tidy room were two beds, a TV, a bathroom, and a Netbattle machine. Chaud was sitting on one of the beds watching TV, and Laika had answered the door.

"Are you ready?" Chaud said, not even looking their direction.

"Always!" Lan replied with a grin. Chaud chuckled.

"Then I, Chaud Blaze, will accept your challenge."

"As will I." Laika added. All four walked to the machine.

"Jack in, Protoman! Power up!"

"Jack in, Searchman! Power up!" Lan grinned.

"Jack in, Megaman! Power up!"

"Battle routine set! Execute!" the three Operators yelled. Maylu sat on a bed and watched.

"Paladin Sword!" Protoman's hand morphed into the kingly blade and he charged.

"Scope Gun!" Searchman stood back and peered through his visor. Protoman arrived first and swung his blade.

"Cannon!" Megaman's arm changed into the low-level chip. "Attack+10, triple download!" Megaman shot directly into Protoman's sword, shattering it. Megaman's empty cannon proceeded to connect with Protoman's side, flinging the swordmaster back. Searchman fired and caught Megaman off-guard, however, and the projectile hit him on the shoulder.

"Have you ever wondered why people save their best attacks for last? I have, and I'm not going to this time. DoubleSoul ProtoSoul, Battlechip in! Download!" Megaman immediatly donned his red armor and sky blue visor.

"Proto Sword!" Megaman yelled, and his hand turned into Protoman's default weapon. Megaman charged at Protoman.

"Area Steal!" Megaman disappeared, and reappeared by Searchman.

"Gotcha." Megaman slashed across Searchman's gun, breaking the sniper's scope off.

"Recovery 120!" Laika inserted the chip and Searchman's scope grew back. "Sword!" Searchman's normal hand transformed into the weapon, and he brought it down hard on Megaman's helmet, cracking it and forcing him out of ProtoSoul.

"DoubleSoul RollSoul!" Megaman donned his pink armor and his hitpoints began to rise. "DoubleSoul SearchSoul!" Lan grinned, expecting TripleSoul SearchRollSoul, but Megaman instead left RollSoul and entered SearchSoul.

"Scope Gun!" Both Megaman and Searchman raised their guns, trying for the first lock-on.

"LongSword!" Protoman came from behind, slashing Megaman across the back and forcing him out of SearchSoul. The distraction was all Searchman needed to fire his gun, scoring another hit.

"Recovery 300!" Megaman's wounds were healed, and he leaped into the air.

"Lan, I need something big!"

"Right! Here's AirShoes and a M-Cannon..." Megaman's boots gained thrusters and his arm a red cannon, and Megaman began to fire at the two other Navis.

"Here! Shotgun!" Megaman's other arm formed into a Megabuster look-alike. "V-Gun!" Another low-level gun appeared in place of Megaman cannon.

"Lan?"

"I learned of this Program Advance reading on the Internet. Just wait! CrossGun!" Megaman's hands began to glow. "And lastly, M-Cannon!" Megaman's right hand formed a gargantuan blue cannon he couldn't support with his other hand alone, and he had to set the AirShoes to maximum to stay in the air. Even so, he was still sinking under the weight of the cannon.

"Power Cannon!" Megaman yelled, firing the cannon. Searchman and Protoman were unable to dodge, and Searchman was logged out from the massive energy beam. Protoman was sent a Barrier, Barrier100, and Barrier200, and he had his Guard shield out, so he didn't take as much damage. Right after the aerial bombing finished, Megaman's AirShoes ran out of energy, and he began to fall to the ground.

"Dash!" A green Fishy appeared out of thin air and Megaman caught it. "Take this, Protoman! Minibomb, slot-in! In! In!" Lan continued to insert the low level chip, his hands a blur. Blue bombs with a single green stripe continued to appear in Megaman's hands, and he threw them at Protoman. All Protoman could do was block. When the bombardment was finished, Protoman looked up. Megaman was standing on solid ground, and Protoman was surrounded by a huge trench.

"Like the strategy Lan and I developed? It's not finished, though. Lan?"

"I got it, bro. GodStone in, download! RockCube in, quintuple download!!" Protoman was surrounded by many rocks, barring him in as massive rocks came barreling down from above. All of them scored hits. "DoubleSoul JunkSoul!" Megaman gained his junk-like armor.

"Poltergeist!" All the previous RockCubes rammed into Protoman, causing more damage.

"Chaud... It's time."

"Roger that, Protoman!" Chaud looked at Lan and flashed a grin. "Protoman, Form Change!" Protoman closed his eyes and was encased in a purple light, and his armor began to change to purple. Protoman's mouthguard covered his mouth, and his helmet changed to resemble a ninja. A long katana appeared at the swordmaster's side, and a sheath with another katana on his back. Protoman's NaviMark melted into his now-purple bodysuit, and it reappeared in a smaller form on the front of his helmet. The NaviMarks on his hands had disappeared. Protoman opened his eyes.

"Protoman: Muramasa Form!" Protoman cried. The Official's Navi now resembled a ninja in every way.

"What is that?" Lan asked. "What have you and IPC invented this time?" Chaud smirked.

"The idea was spawned from Megaman's Style Change. I thought, How about a program that could make any Navi Style Change, and that can accumulate more Styles with experience? Even better, Styles that weren't pre-defined, but user-made! IPC quickly began work on the new program. However to be fair, it cannot be activated when you have more than one-quarter of your HP remaining." Chaud replied.

"That's cool! When will it be out?"

"Within the month. I need a few more testers. I was going to ask you after this match anyway, but I might as well now. Will you?"

"Heck yeah! This is our way to getting back HubStyle, even if it's not really HubStyle."

"Great." Chaud turned to his screen. "Protoman, show them Muramasa Form!" Protoman dashed behind Megaman with blinding speed and pulled out the katana at his side. The blade immediantly began to glow dark purple.

"Blind, Battlechip in!" A huge flash came from Megaman, and Protoman was momentarily stunned.

"FireBlade!" Chaud slammed the chip into his PET. Instead of Protoman gaining an extra sword, though, the Muramasa's purple aura mixed with a red aura, making a blood-colored aura. "See, Muramasa Form's ability is mixing any chip I use with the Muramasa."

"Flaming Muramasa!" Protoman charged at Megaman again and scored a direct hit, forcing him out of JunkSoul.

"Megaman, let's try TripleSoul again. DoubleSoul WindSoul, DoubleSoul HeavyMetalSoul, Battlechips in! Double download!" Megaman began to glow, and emerged in MetalSoul's armor, but instead of sawblades on his shoulders, there were two fans. On his back was a jetpack-like fan with sawblades poking out of it.

"TripleSoul HeavyWindSoul!" Lan looked at Megaman's HP.

"Six hundred of two thousand five hundred HP... That's less then a quarter."

"Windy Missile!" Megaman launched five missiles out of his back, and the fans on his shoulders whipped up a gale that made it hard for Protoman to move correctly. The missiles locked on and headed for their shadowy target. Three of the explosive projectiles hit, and the blast of another hit Protoman too. THe wind stopped, and Protoman got back up. "That should have been enough to force you out of that form!" Protoman's lower lip was de-rezzing.

"Nope." Protoman coughed. "There is no way to be forced out of a Form Change. Thanks for the damage, though." Protoman's Muramasa was glowing with an intense aura. "Muramasa!"

"Metal Breaker!" Protoman charged at Megaman while Megaman's fist began to glow. Megaman through his punch directly when Protoman swung his sword. Protoman landed on the other side of Megaman, and a crack appeared on the Muramasa. Megaman had not gotten off without his damage, either. A crack had appeared on his helmet.

"Good match, Protoman." Megaman stumbled to one knee as Protoman did the same. Protoman chuckled.

"I win." Then Megaman noticed what was underneath Protoman's ripped ninja clothes. It was an UnderShirt.

"Recovery 10!" A gentle light surrounded Megaman as his HP rose to eleven and he fell out of HeavyWindSoul.

"You're not the only one, Protoman." On Megaman's body, a vest was slightly visible also. Megaman slowly stood up, and Protoman did the same. "This won't be a tie!" Protoman sheathed the Muramasa and unsheathed the katana on his back.

"Do you know what Muramasa's twin is? Masamune!" As soon as the blade heard its name, it began to glow.

"Sword, Battlechip in." Lan barely said the words as he inserted the chip. "WideSword, Battlechip in. LongSword, Battlechip in."

"LifeSword." Megaman finished, the glowing blade in his hands. Chaud repeated the Program Advance, and the Masamune began to glow brighter.

"This is the final blow!!" Megaman screamed as he charged toward Protoman. Protoman began to run towards Megaman, as well.

"AreaSteal." Both Navis disappeared and reappeared behind each other. Protoman had hit. Megaman swung around and delivered three shockwaves in Protoman's direction. The swordmaster was to tired to dodge, and was logged out by the attack.

"AntiSword?" Chaud just looked at his screen in shock.

"Who says you have to announce a chip when you slot-in?" Lan and Megaman both flashed a grin. "Now, let's install the Form Change program, shall we?"


	13. Form Change!

**PEJP Bengtzone: **Wait, Junkman's dubbed name is Junkdataman? That's messed up... If Yamatoman ever appears, I'm not using his dubbed name, it sounds too weird. I do like the 'Heavy' part of HeavyMetalMan's name, though. Isn't Turboman also known as Quickman? And isn't he Kai's Navi? I forget. I don't know who Mary and Ring are, and Tory will probably end up in this fic sometime. Maybe Chisao too. Aquaman sounds better than Spoutman too.

**Kasuchi, Koichi: **Yeah, good idea for NumberGutsSoul... That would be hilarious! MedicalRollSoul will probably make it in too. I noticed Netto's Awakening a few times, but I never finished it. I went and did that... Good story, but the grammar issues make it hard to read.

**

* * *

**

CHAPTER 13 : Form Change!

Maylu, Chaud and Lan had taken Chaud's limo to IPC and were standing in the technology lab of the huge company. Raika had to return to his military base, so he was not with them. Lan and Maylu's PETs were hooked up to a large computer. A man in a white lab coat was furiously typing away on the computer.

"Okay, just fill this form out to create your Form Change. Note that when you Form Change, if the max HP of the Form is higher than your current HP, you will be healed to your max HP. However, if the max HP is lower than your current HP, your HP will slowly drop to meet the max HP," the techie said. He then handed a keyboard to Lan, who began to type. A few minutes later, he was done, and he passed the keyboard to Maylu, who filled out her own form and returned the keyboard to the techie. "Now I just have to do this... and this..." the techie began to mumble what he was doing.

"Lan, he'll be done in about an hour." Chaud informed the young teen.

"Well, what should we do until then?"

"I have a YBox 540, a Vii, and a GameStation 4. We could play any one. Oh, I have a few Nerdtendo TSes, too."

"Cool! Let's play the Vii first."

"Agreed." Maylu replied. All three traveled to the rec room and began to play. Soon, the hour was up, and the three teens were furiously locked in a game of Bash Bros. Brawl. Lan, playing as Mr. Game and Play, had not yet won a battle. Chaud was Browser, and Maylu was Plum. "Come on! Oh yes, I got the Bash Ball!" Lan cackled manically. Then Browser beat the Bash Ball out of him and won with his Final Bash. "Come ON!"

"Well, Megaman should be done now. Come on." Chaud got up and turned off the Vii. The three returned to the tech lab. The techie, whose name was Tsuko, was still mumbling to himself.

"...Press this... type this... click that... done!" Tsuko unhooked both PETs from the computer and returned them to their owners. "Lan, Maylu, I set your Navis' HP at exactly one-fourth, so all you have to do is jack in and press the Form Change symbol.

"Thanks! Megaman EXE, jack in! Transmission!" Lan beamed Megaman into the computer. "Here goes nothing!" Lan said as he tapped the rotating Form Change symbol. Megama began to glow, and his armor became like HubStyle's armor... and then the glow died and Megaman returned to his original form. "What happened?"

"I was afraid of this. See, while I was installing the Form Change, I noticed some other programs I had never seen. I looked into them, and found a multi-Navi fusion program that only activates when you are at a quarter of your normal HP. I thought the Form Change might fail because of some elements in the Navi Merger, as I call it." Tsuko said.

"Oh well. We can get by without it. Maylu, how about your Form Change?"

"Let's try it! Roll, jack in! Transmission!" Maylu beamed Roll into the computer and pressed the symbol. Roll began to glow, and her pink bodysuit was replaced with white robes, and a staff appeared in her hand. A worn spellbook appeared in her other hand, and her helmet was replaced with chest-length pink hair.

"Roll: White Form!" Roll said, twirling around and striking a pose. "In this form I'm just like a white mage from RPGs! My main ability is lots of healing, although I can use some attack magic. When Maylu sends me a chip, I can integrate it with any of my spells."

"That's really cool, Roll!" Megaman exclaimed.

"Watch this! Aqua Tower, BattleChip in! Download!" Maylu said, slotting-in the chip. Roll opened her spellbook and began to chant.

"Aqua Tower and Last Fire, combine now into EL Spire!" A tower of both water and fire rose from the ground and spiraled into each other, then proceeded to run into a wall. "Most chips can be merged with a spell I can use without a chip."

"Lance, in!" Maylu said.

"Spears of wood and power of old, combine right now with my spell Gold!" Golden bamboo spears shot into the same wall the EL Spire had crashed into.

"One more! DoubleNeedle, TripleNeedle, QuadNeedle! Triple download! Program Advance, Arrows!" Maylu said, inserting the chips.

"Program Advance is strong, this I know, but how about advancing to Fury Arrow?" A red fish appeared next to Roll and shot fifteen flaming arrows at the wall, which now cracked.

"That's incredible! Lan and I play lots of video games, but we never would have thought of that!" Megaman exclaimed.

"Hey Megaman... I thought of of way we could use Form Change! What would happen if we used DoubleSoul with someone in a Form Change?" Lan mused.

"Well... Wanna try, Roll?" Megaman asked his sweetheart.

"Sure."

"Okay then..." Megaman walked over to Roll and placed his NaviMark near hers. Both NaviMarks began to glow a bright white, and soon, both Navis were enveloped in the shining aura. The aura soon disappeared, with both Navis in their normal Form, and the words 'item can not use' flashing on both Lan and Maylu's PET screens.

"As I suspected, it would not work." Tsuko mumbled. "The fact that Megaman cannot Form Change would be the primary reason."

"No problem." Just then, Tsuko's computer began to beep. Tsuko spun around in his chair and began to read. He clicked a few items, and read something else. The young techie grabbed a intercom mic a few inches away and began to speak.

"Security, please go to data block 4-I, Section 21. Prepare for combat." He hung the mic up. "I hate viruses."

"I could help!" Megaman piped up.

"As could I!" Roll chimed in.

"Sorry, can't do that without Chaud's permission." He turned to the vice president.

"Jack in! Protoman! Power up!" The skunk-haired teen turned towards Tsuko and nodded. Tsuko tapped some keys and nodded.

"Here, I'll heal your Navis." In the Net, a white light enveloped the two NetNavis, and their HP was restored. A portal then appeared by them. They walked into it, and were immediately transported. Large hordes of various viruses met their eyes. In the distance, Protoman was already whacking away.

"Let's get to it! Shotgun, BattleChip in!" Megaman's hand transformed into a buster, and he fired a wide blast, deleting many viruses.

"Roll Arrow, BattleChip in!" Roll's hand morphed into a crossbow, and she fired into a row of enemies, pinning them to each other before deleting them.

"SonicBoom, BattleChip in!" Protoman's sword began to glow, and he fired three shockwaves, deleting more viruses. However, there were still many, many, more.

"Hey Maylu, remember that card Geo gave me before he left?" Lan asked Maylu in a low voice. He figured it was best to keep that a secret.

"Yeah..." She thought back to that time.

-----------------FLASHBACK-----------------

"Viral, deleted." the computerized voice said. The word, 'Deleted' appeared in front of Megaman.

"Jack out, Megaman." Megaman did so. Lan turned around, and Geo was glowing.

"Thank you for returning me to my time. I am glad to have met you. Good... bye." Geo disappeared. Right before he vanished, he slipped Lan something. "This might be useful." And with that, he disappeared. The object was a large, red, card with a picture of a black hole.

"What's this? It looks like a really big BattleChip."  
-----------------END FLASHBACK-------------

"Anyway, I tinkered with it, and I managed to make it into a BattleChip our PETs can use. I already tested it, and watch what it does!" Lan turned to his PET. "Megaman, get ready! DarknessHole, BattleChip in! Download!" Back in the Net, the sky turned dark.

"Hrrrahhh!" Megaman yelled and black holes appeared under most of the viruses, deleting them. Lan turned back to Maylu.

"It deletes all viruses that have less than 250 HP remaining. It looks like it does more damage to NetNavis, but I haven't tried it yet." Chaud walked over to Lan.

"Where'd you get that chip?" Chaud inquired.

"A friend gave it to me." Lan replied.

"Man, I bet Higsby would pay a fortune for it." Chaud mumbled.

"Higsby doesn't have any money." Lan pointed out.

"This is true." Chaud said. The Navis had finished the viruses. Tsuko was tapping at his computer.

"That's odd... This shouldn't be like that..." Suddenly, a large number of Navis appeared near Protoman, Megaman, and Roll.

"Tsuko, you called?"

"Sorry, these three already finished them. All of you, head to data block 9-B, Section 13." A portal appeared in the Net, and all of the Navis walked onto it. They found themselves in what looked like the inside of a living computer: circuits all around, pipes across the ceiling, and, to top it off, it seemed like it was beating. A tall, wiry, black NetNavi emerged from behind a bank of circuits. His helmet was a glossy yellow with two antennae coming straight up from the back of it, and his gloves and boots were yellow. He had four large, semi-transparent wings on his back, and he had a rectangular item in his hands.

"That's the Heart Program! It's what makes this system so fast! You have to get it!" Tsuko exclaimed.

"Right!" All of the security Navis charged, swords in hand, and were swiftly deleted with a swing of the hand and a launching of multiple throwing knives. The tall Navi put the Heart Program into a compartment on his belt.

"Megaman, Roll, and Protoman. Probably the three most well-known Navis on the Net. I would be so notorious if I defeated you."

"And your name is?" Protoman asked.

"My name is Stingman, although I am known to some as Greed. You probably remember Dat? He also goes by Envy."

"So, what do you want with the Heart Program?" Roll yelled at Stingman.

"Wouldn't you like to know, sweetie?" Stingman blew a kiss at the pink Navi, enraging her.

"Why you little..." She began to stomp towards Stingman, but Megaman stopped her.

"You know, he wants you to do that."

"I don't care! Maylu, send me a chip." Roll pushed past Megaman and began again towards Stingman.

"Aqua Tower, BattleChip in!" Roll planted her hand against the ground and kept walking. The tower of liquid was so pressurized as to allow her to stand on top of it, confusing Stingman.

"Where'd you go?" He was too busy looking for her to notice the Aqua Tower nearing him. When did see it, he was too late. It hit him, hard, and Roll came down on top of him with a LongSword. Stingman chuckled. "Nice trick, sweetie."

"Scope Gun!" A pink missile came blazing towards Stingman and hit him, dead on, but the bolt glanced off what seemed to be a hexagonal orange shield of hardened air. He looked to Megaman, who was sporting camouflage armor and a sniper rifle.

"VariableSword!" Protoman came in from behind, slashing with the mystical sword. All three Navis jumped back, out of range, and saw no visible damage.

"Hee hee hee! You can't hurt me with those pitiful things. My turn. Poison Sting!" He threw three long needles, none of which managed to hit their target. He threw them again and again until all three Navis had been hit. A purple miasma began to spread where the needle had impacted.

"Recovery 100!" Chaud inserted the chip, but the miasma just spread faster.

"Hee hee hee! My Poison Sting works like an AntiRecovery!" Megaman was forced out of SearchSoul when the miasma reached his chest. Lan checked Megaman's HP meter.

"Not low enough yet... Megaman, can you fight?" Lan asked his brother.

"Uhhh... Yeah. It's like standing on poison panels, though." The Blue Bomber replied.

"Okay then. Muramasa, BattleChip in!" As soon as Lan sent him the chip, the cursed blade appeared in his hands, and he charged. As the miasma ate up his body, the sword's aura became more and more intense. When Megaman reached Stingman, he slashed from behind... dealing no damage!

"Ahahah!" Stingman laughed. That won't do damage, either! And did you know what? As the miasma gets to your head, it will slowly eat at your sanity!"

"Roll Arrow!" Roll fired a heart-tipped arrow at Stingman, but it bounced off an unseen barrier.

"NeoVariable!" Protoman came at Stingman, stabbing. The unseen barrier that deflected Roll's attack broke the sword, however.

"You know what I call this? A Carbon Data Field, or CD Field. Essentially, it hardens data in my body to create a barrier."

"We can't break it!" Maylu exclaimed. Chaud looked at her oddly.

"How long did it take you to figure that out?" Chaud asked with genuine curiosity. Maylu slugged him, and Roll let out a cry. The miasma had reached her neck.

"Chaud, Maylu, are you ready?" Both teens nodded once. "Man, that miasma works fast..." Lan mumbled. "Okay! DoubleSoul WoodSoul, BattleChip in! DoubleSoul WindSoul, BattleChip in!"

"Protoman, Form Change! Muramasa Form!"

"Roll, Form Change! White Form!" Megaman, Protoman, and Roll were bathed in a white light.

"Form Change? Huuu... I want it! Give it to me!" Greed said. His eyes changed to a dark purple, and his body followed suit. The three Navis emerged from the light.

"TripleSoul WindWoodSoul!" Megaman exclaimed. His bodysuit had changed to a thick, woody bark, and two fans appeared on his back. Two more fans had mounted on his shoulders, and his helmet was like a streamlined Woodman helmet.

"Have you hugged your tree today?" Megaman taunted, although the miasma was still spreading. Roll and Protoman both raised an eyebrow. "What? Oh, never mind." He turned toward Stingman. "Wood Tower!" Spiked logs burst up, one by one, from the ground, steadily heading for Stingman.

"Huuu... That won't break my CD Fie... Wait. Yeah, it will." A spiked tower slammed into Stingman, and he cried out.

Will that work? Lan asked himself. "GaiaBlade, BattleChip in!" Megaman's hand morphed into a vine-covered blade and he dashed at Stingman, who was just getting up.

"Uwahh!" Stingman yelled as he was thrown back by the blade's impact.

"Guys! He's only hurt by Wood-type chips!" Lan informed his friends.

"Right!" Maylu was the first to respond. "Roll, here comes a BambooSword!" Maylu inserted the chip and Roll began to chant.

"Through my spell I give to thee, the power to drain energy!" The sword appeared on Roll's hand with a green aura.

"AreaSteal!" Roll disappeared and reappeared behind Stingman. She spun around and slashed, refilling her HP and driving the miasma down a bit.

Could the miasma be...? Chaud pressed a few buttons on his PET. Of course! "BugFix, BattleChip in!" As a gentle light surrounded Protoman, all of the miasma disappeared.

"Nice work, Chaud!" Lan called to his rival. Lan and Maylu both used a BugFix, and the miasma disappeared from their Navis too.

"Awww~! You found the secret of my miasma. Well, I'll have to get serious, won't I?" Stingman popped the Heart Program out of his belt. "Want this?" Stingman's eyebrows lowered. "Come and get it," he finished in a dark voice. After he spoke, he tossed the program in his mouth and swallowed. "Huuuu... Ahahahah!" Stingman dashed behind Protoman and grabbed him in a chokehold.

"Don't worry about me, I'll hold him." Protoman crouched slightly and threw himself backwards, twisting as he did. Stingman was taken by surprise and released his hold slightly, allowing Protoman to do a full 180 degree turn. When Stingman hit the ground, Protoman was on top of him with a knee in Stingman's gut. However, Stingman still had Protoman in a sort of chokehold, although it wasn't as efficient as it was before.

"Not bad." Stingman disappeared and appeared behind Protoman, still holding the chokehold. "But you need to do better," the black Navi whispered in Protoman's ear. Suddenly, a green slice manifested itself into Stingman's back, and he released Protoman.

"I told you I'd hold him." Protoman said, getting up from where he had fallen. Megaman was behind Stingman, a BambooBlade in hand.

"Well, I'm sure that's not what you meant to do." Megaman replied with a smirk.

"Volt Sting!" A stream of electricity shot down from the ceiling and caught Megaman, who promptly began screaming. Stingman got up and dusted off a knee.

"490,000 volts. A constant stream of it. That's enough to fry Megaman beyond repair in... about three and a half minutes. Think you can beat me that quickly?"


	14. The Origin of Cross Fusion

**Kasuchi, Koichi: **It's pretty obvious who they are. I might be able to put Megaman under someone's spell... but it wouldn't be very original. I'll find a way. The next GUILT higher-up to appear is Wrath... and you'll never guess who he/she/it is. It would be cool to see other Souls/Crosses. There's not likely to be any Crosses here 'cept BassCross, though, because I've never seen Stream, Beast, or Beast+. So I've got no idea what causes a Cross, how they're activated, etc.

**PEJP Bengtzone: **No, no DoubleSoul while Form Changed. Not yet... The Form Change is still inside Megaman, so you never know if it'll ever be activated. Ooh, FormStyler. Reminds me of Pokemon Ranger. I never finished BattleChip Challenge, that's why I didn't know about them. The Heart Program and Megaman can't combine, the Heart Program has a different use. Ironic that you mention Sora... He appears in chapter 17, along with others.

I'm leaving for a week tomorrow (Saturday), so I'm releasing early, and I won't be back until Saturday, so I might release the next chapter a bit late. Or it might be on time. Depends on how Saturday goes.**

* * *

**

**CHAPTER 14 : The Origin of Cross Fusion**

"Wood Arrow!"

"BambooBlade!" Protoman and Roll were trying their best to defeat Stingman, but he was too strong.

"Volt Tackle!" Stingman launched himself at high speed towards Protoman. The swordsman dodged and slashed with his sword, scoring a hit but doing little damage.

"Barrier!" Lan slotted the chip, but it had no effect. "Barrier200?" Lan used the second chip, but, again, to no avail.

"Your Navi can't use chips in this much pain, can he?" Stingman laughed. Roll charged with a GaiaSword, doing minor damage.

"Maylu, do you remember the science lesson we had a few weeks ago? About electricity?" Roll asked, dodging a Volt Tackle.

"Yeah... But you're not going to do that, are you?" Maylu replied.

"Of course!" Roll ran towards Megaman. "Send me HolyPanel and Barrier500!"

"Roll! Ahh, there's no stopping you. Barrier! Barrier100! Barrier200! Triple download!" A purple shield surrounded Roll as she continued towards Megaman.

"Protoman, I know what she's trying. Make sure she gets there. Try this chip." Chaud sent Protoman a chip, and his hand formed a buster with a shield coming out.

"BusterShield?" Protoman sweat-dropped. Roll was almost to Megaman, and Stingman was approaching at high speed with Volt Tackle.

"AreaGrab!" Protoman blocked the Volt Tackle, but was sent flying back as a consequence.

"HolyPanel!" Maylu used the chip right before Roll got to Megaman. Megaman slowly looked towards Roll as she was running to him.

"R... Roll?" His eyes widened. "No!" Roll jumped into the stream of electricity, forming a HolyPanel as she did. She immediately felt the power of the attack. Lan shook his head.

"If I had seen your intention, I would have stopped you." Lan had a counter of the time remaining until the Volt Tackle killed Megaman, and it began to recalculate. When it stopped, it read six minutes forty seconds and counting. "Look at my PET screen." He showed his PET to Maylu.

"Megaman's HP isn't going down!"

"No. Not only that, but those Barriers I sent him are functioning. Volt Stream hits past barriers and defenses because it doesn't do damage," Lan said. "Two targets with the same stream does reduce the power to each of them." Lan turned to Chaud. "You've got six minutes." Chaud nodded.

"Hear that, Protoman?" He said, returning to his screen.

"Right."

What do I have for strong Wood chips? Chaud thought. Ah! "Protoman, ready for that move?"

"Of course,"

"Geddon2! OldWood! BattleChips in! Double download!" Many holes appeared in the floor as wooden spikes surged over the holes and hit Stingman repeatedly. Chaud slotted-in a Repair and an AirShoes.

"Bloody Quartet!" Protoman said as both his arms changed into swords. Two more swords also slid out of his elbows, and he dashed forward and sliced, breaking through the CD Field. Stingman took significant damage.

"As I suspected. Your CD Field isn't pierced by Wood-type attacks, it's broken. After the attack, it's quickly regenerated," Chaud said.

"Two minutes, Chaud!" Lan announced. Stingman slowly got up as the floor returned to normal.

"Doesn't matter. I have enough power remaining to finish this." Stingman's voice switched to a whisper. "Volt Stream." The current immediately slammed into Protoman, and a counter appeared on Chaud's screen. "Now that you're all about to be deleted, I suppose I can wait around for three and a half minutes." Megaman slowly turned to Roll.

"Roll... it looks like the end," Megaman whispered.

"Don't say that..." Roll replied.

"If this really is... the end... there's one thing... I want to do." A pink light bathed the two NetNavis, but neither noticed. As Megaman slowly moved towards Roll, the light became increasingly intense, blocking the two Navis as their lips touched.

"What is this... this... sap?" Stingman said. Suddenly, the Volt Stream broke. "No no no no no no no no. That's not how it works." A lone figure emerged from the light. Megaman had a pink bodysuit with his RollSoul antennae on a light green helmet. The fans were still on his back, but the ones on his shoulders had been replaced with small Wood Tower look-alikes for shoulderpads. His hands and feet were thick and had a woody texture, and the fins on his head had appeared around the middle part of both his forearms.

"QuadrupleSoul WindWoodRollSoul" Megaman said. "Forest Arrow!" A pink-blue bow with a wood-tipped arrow appeared on Megaman's arm, and he fired, piercing Stingman's CD Field. "Tornado!" The bow was replaced with a large fan, and Stingman was caught in a fierce tornado. "Roll Arrow destroys BattleChip data." Megaman smirked.

"What? How did you discover my CD Field was a BattleChip?!" Stingman yelled.

"No NetNavi has the energy to keep up a shield of that caliber for that long. It had to be a BattleChip with a self-restore algorithm." Megaman replied.

"Grrah! I can beat you without it! DarkSoul, arise!" The purple-black DarkSoul appeared out of his back, looming over the black NetNavi. Unlike most DarkSouls, however, this one didn't enter his body. "We at GUILT have discovered a way to harness the power of the DarkSoul without becoming tainted. The DarkSoul resides outside our bodies and transmits the power to the Navi. This allows all the power, without the cost of personality destruction. Even you could use it, Megaman."

"Enough monologing." Protoman said dryly.

"Agreed." Megaman said, planting a hand against the floor. "Wood Tower!"

"Dark Engage!" The space around the three battlers became completely black, stayed that way for a few seconds, and then faded out to reveal a featureless dark purple battlefield. "This... This is your Final Destination!"

"NeoVariable." Chaud said in a monotone, inserting the chip.

"CyberSword!" Lan added, inserting his own chip.

"CyberSword? How can that do damage to me?" Stingman laughed, and then gasped in pain. Megaman had dashed towards him and delivered a powerful slash from his neck curving down to his waist.

"Because a QuadrupleSoul uses all four Navis' power. Protoman, what does that mean?" Megaman asked.

"It means that any attack he uses gets a x4 multiplier. CyberSword's power is currently 320." Protoman finished.

"And that's just a CyberSword! Wait until you see this! Chaud, you ready?"

"As always."

"Right! Slasher!" Lan and Chaud inserted the chip. "CustomSword! VariableSword!" Chaud looked at Lan and nodded. "Protoman V3!" Only Lan inserted this chip.

"Program Advance!" Both teens said in unison. "DOUBLE HERO!!" Megaman attacked with massive amounts of busterfire while Protoman attacked with multiple shockwaves.

"AntiDamage, AntiNavi, Muramasa! Program Advance: BodyGuard!" After Double Hero, Megaman jumped into the air and began to rain shuriken down on Stingman, who was now de-rezzing. At the same time, Protoman had used the Program Advance ElementBlade and was hacking away at the enemy Navi. When the bombardment had finished, Stingman was badly beaten, with many holes going clean through him.

"I'll get you... next time."

STINGMAN LOGGING OUT

"I'm sure." Lan said. Megaman fell out of QuadrupleSoul, having used all his energy in the last attack.

"Do you two have a name for that combo?" Maylu asked. Lan and Chaud looked at each other. Lan spoke first.

"Yes. It's called 'The DoubleHero with Extreme Absolute Terror and Heartache' combo. Or Death Combo for short." Chaud looked at him.

"Did you make all that up on the spot?"

"Uhh... Yes." Lan said.

"It's a bit of a stretch..." Maylu mumbled. "I know! You can call it Lots of Overkill, Slicing, and Extreme Radical Smashing instead!"

"Maylu, the acronym for that is LOSERS. We'll stick with Death Combo."

"Yeah, I figured. Mine wasn't even that good." Chaud rubbed his forehead with his hand.

"Can we PLEASE change the subject?" Suddenly, Lan's PET rang.

"Lan, you have an email." Megaman informed him. Lan pulled out his PET and opened the email.

"Meet me at the NetBattle Simulator in your hotel. Bring Megaman." Lan read. "That's odd. The sender has no name."

"The first sign of trouble." Chaud turned to the door. "Let's go."

-------------

Back at the hotel, Lan and company hurried to the NetBattle Simulator. Upon opening the door, however, they were blinded by a flash of light.

"Uwahh!" Lan yelled. _This is familiar... Where have I seen this before?_Lan thought.

"Who's there?" Chaud yelled, trying to shield himself from the light.

"Yai!" Lan exclaimed. "Stop doing that!" The light ceased to reveal Yai already dressed in the NetBattle Simulator suit, which Lan had discord was called the BattleFrame.

"Hello! You got my message." Yai said to Lan.

"I did, and I accept your challenge. Just let me get a suit on." Lan walked over to the rack of BattleFrames and chose one that was his size. He quickly got into it. "Now what?" Yai walked over.

"Put your PET into the NaviServer on your right arm, and load your folder into the slot under your right forearm. As soon as Lan plugged his PET in, he felt an small increase in power.

"Wow... is this what you always feel like, Megaman?"

"I suppose." Lan had expected the sound to come from his PET, but it sounded like Megaman was inside his head. "Before you ask, I'm talking to you from the visor's speakers. It's really cool in here."

"Now, Megaman, you need to get into the BattleFrame look-alike inside the onboard computer. This allows Lan to use your power to a higher extent, as well as the Megabuster and BattleChips." Yai said. Megaman walked over to a solitary BattleFrame floating in a data stream. Megaman entered the stream and got into the Frame. Lan felt more power enter his body.

"This is incredible!" Lan loaded his folder next. "Anything else?"

"Yes. We have to connect the suit's wires. Without them, if you jumped and brought a sword down on me, and I blocked, you would go right through my block. Stand here, please." Yai walked over to a panel on the wall and tapped a few buttons. Thin wires emerged from the ceiling and attached themselves to Lan's back. "To use your BattleChips, all you have to do is think about the ones you want to use. They'll come out of this slot by your wrist, and then you slot-in on your left shoulder. If you can't because your hand is immobilized, you will just have to think about the chip to use it. One more thing. When we're both ready to start, you have to initiate the weapons by saying 'Simulation online,' and we have to say it at the same time. Now, stand in that square on the floor, right over there. I'm going to that other square." Lan and Yai both walked to their squares. "Ready?"

"Yeah!" Lan replied.

"Okay then... 3... 2... 1..."

"Simulation, online!" Yai acted first.

"Glyde Cannon!" Glyde's cannon appeared on Yai's right hand, and she fired. Lan couldn't dodge and was hit by the blast and thrown back.

"Owww... You forgot to tell me attacks still hurt." Lan groaned.

"I did, didn't I? Well, you can't be killed by an attack. In fact, the pain is all in your head." Yai replied. "Glyde Cannon!"

"Get up, Lan!" Lan began to get up, but was pushed back down by the cannon shot.

"This sucks." Lan quickly pulled himself up as he dodged more cannonfire. He found it surprisingly easy. "Megabuster!" Megaman's standard weapon appeared and Lan countered with his own barrage of busterfire.

"PaladinSword!" Yai's Glyde Cannon disappeared and a chip flew into her right hand, which she promptly jammed into her shoulder-slot. He arm immediately morphed into the said sword.

"Fine then... LongBlade!" Lan's buster disappeared as he clumsily slotted the chip into his shoulder, and a LongBlade appeared on his hand. "Wow, this is so--" Lan was cut off by Yai and the PaladinSword. Out of reflex he blocked with his sword. "...cool. Megaman, did you do that?"

"No, it was a reflex that was uploaded. I don't do anything but sit here." Megaman replied. "I wonder if I could take a nap..." Lan facepalmed.

"Not now..." Lan rolled behind Yai and slashed.

"LifeAura!" Yai quickly slotted the chip in, and Lan's sword bounced off a purple barrier. Yai turned around and began advancing on Lan, slowly beating him back.

"Have these been upgraded to work with Form Change?" Lan asked, glancing at Chaud. Chaud's eyes became wide.

"Lan!" Chaud yelled. Yai stopped her advance.

"What's Form Change?" Lan took the opportunity and attacked. Yai barely blocked. "Seriously though, what's Form Change?"

"Oh, never mind." Lan replied, slashing again. "FireBlade!" Lan's sword quickly reformed into a blazing katana. "Fire +30!" The FireBlade began to burn hotter. Lan charged... and Yai sidestepped, sending him into the wall. "Owww..." Lan groaned.

"Tell me what Form Change is!" Yai said again, coming at Lan. Lan dodged.

"Only if you can beat me!" Lan taunted. Yai continued to slash agressively, and Lan easily dodged. _Why is this so easy? I can't move this fast normally..._Lan asked himself.

"Because you're essentially me. Hey, I wonder if we can do LifeSyncro from here. I do feel a little extra power..." Megaman replied to Lan's unspoken question.

Megaman, is it normal for you to be able to read my thoughts? Lan asked. Megaman chuckled.

"Nope. Wanna try LifeSyncro?" Lan dodged another slash and returned, nicking Yai on the shoulder.

Might as well. Ready?

"Always."

"LifeSyncro!" The brothers spoke at the same time, even as Lan flashed. He flashed once more, and a shadow of Megaman's helmet appeared on his head. Another flash, and the bodysuit appeared. After a few more flashes, a shadow of Megaman had completely enveloped Lan. One last flash, and it became opaque. Lan was Megaman, albeit without the de-rezzing that comes with LifeSyncro. Chaud, Maylu, and Yai all gasped.

"Wow, this feels great! I feel like I could smash a building!" Lan exclaimed.

"You probably could." Megaman replied.

"Ready, Yaiiiii... Wowww... I feeeeelll dizzy...." Lan said, and he began to stumble around. One last flash, and Megaman's armor disappeared completely. Lan collapsed.

"Lan!" Maylu ran over to him and knelt down. "Lan! Answer me!" Suddenly she heard a faint sound she recognized. Snoring? He's sleeping? Yai walked over.

"By default, I win. What's Form Change?" Chaud facefaulted.

"I'm not telling. You have to beat him in a rematch, or wait two weeks." Yai huffed and stamped her foot.

"Fine! As soon as he wakes up, come get me." She handed Chaud a piece of paper. "This is my room number." She spun on her heel and walked out. As she was leaving, she called out one more bit of information to Chaud. "BattleFrame's mine." And with that, she was gone.

"Chaud, can you pick him up and carry him to our room?" Chaud raised an eyebrow.

"Our?" Maylu glared at him.

"Rent's cheaper when two are paying." Chaud didn't argue as he picked Lan up and slung him over his shoulders.

"Man, this kid's heavy. What's he have in his pocket? Rocks?" Chaud and Maylu began to walk up to Lan and Maylu's room.

"No, but you'd be surprised at the stuff in his backpack." Maylu replied. Chaud rolled his eyes.

"Not even gonna ask..." he mumbled to himself.


	15. A Puzzle Every Now and Then

**PEJP Bengtzone: **Just gonna feature Sora. I do like the FormStyler, that's something I can probably use. Whether Megaman ever gets the normal StyleChange back is yet to be seen... This story takes place after NT Warrior and the manga, but before Axess. Cross Fusion hasn't been invented yet.

**Drengnikrafe: **Thanks! It's good to have another reader. By crossovers, did you mean references? Because I like referencing to other things a lot, and you can expect more of that. Ahh... Aglet. What a weird word. Why can't they make it something simple? Thanks!

**Kasuchi, Koichi: **Thanks for the info about Cross Form. Did someone sub the movie? If they did, could you send me a link? Ehehe... As I said, you'll never guess who Wrath is. No hints either.

**

* * *

**

CHAPTER 15 : A Puzzle Every Now and Then

Back at Lan and Maylu's room, Chaud had called Dr. Hikari and was telling him about Lan's transformation.

"... So you're telling me that Megaman appeared over Lan's body?" Dr. Hikari asked.

"Yes." Chaud replied. "He had a few light blue lines that weren't there normally around his symbol, going down his side, and wrapping around his legs, also." Chaud replied.

"This is something I will have to investigate. Can Lan return to Electopia?"

"I don't know. I will call you when he wakes up."

"Okay then. Bye!"

"Che." Chaud hung up the phone and attempted to rouse Lan. Lan rolled over.

"Five more minutes..." Lan returned to his sleep. Chaud shook the napping boy harder, and his eyes snapped open. "I asked for five more minutes!" Then his eyes focused and he saw Chaud. "Hey, you're not my mom."

"No, I'm not." Chaud said dryly.

"Hey, how'd I get up here?" Lan asked as he sat up. "I was fighting Yai, and then I used LifeSyncro... Then what?"

"You fell asleep." Maylu cut in.

"Really? Did you fall asleep too, Megaman?"

"Yeah." Megaman replied.

"Megaman?" Chaud asked. "Lan, let me see your PET." Lan obediently gave him the gadget, and a single glance confirmed what he suspected. "Lan, Megaman's not in here."

"What? Let me see that!" Lan grabbed his PET from the young vice-president and looked at it.

"I guess I'm not in there. Feels like I am, though." Megaman said.

"Well, then, where are you?" Lan replied.

"I'll have to get back to you on that one."

"Who are you talking to, Lan?" Maylu asked.

"Megaman. Who else?" Lan replied.

"But, Lan... Megaman's not in the PET." Chaud said slowly.

"No, but I can hear him. He's around here somewhere." Lan replied. Maylu and Chaud looked at each other. "By the way, do you know where you are yet, Megaman?"

"No," the Blue Bomber replied.

"You can hear Megaman." Chaud made sure he heard right.

"Of course! Can't you?"

"No." Lan turned to Maylu.

"Can you?"

"No." Lan's eyes became wide.

"Hey, Lan?" Megaman's voice was slightly shaky.

"Yeah?"

"I think... I think... We got fused. Like, I'm in your body. And I don't know how to get out."

"Megaman says we got fused." Lan passed to his friends.

"As I thought might happen." Chaud replied.

"Hey, I can read your thoughts!" Megaman exclaimed. Lan blushed.

"What's wrong?" Maylu asked. Lan shook it off.

_Can you read this? _Lan thought.

"Of course!" Megaman replied. "So far, I can only read what's going through your head right now..."

"Never mind." Lan replied to Maylu. "What were you saying, Chaud?"

"I thought that a synchronization of that level might fuse you two. According to my PET, at that moment, Megaman hit a 400% sync ratio and held it for eight seconds, and then he went offline as you collapsed." Chaud finished.

"Four hundred percent... Wow..." Lan mumbled.

"That sounds like something from an ancient anime I saw, the part about 400% sync and fusion, and the part about eight seconds..." Megaman said.

_Which one?_ Lan asked.

"I won't tell!" Megaman replied.

_You're so stubborn..._ Lan grumped.

"Also, your dad wants to know if you can return to Electopia."

"No. Maylu's NetBattle competition is in two days, and I'm not going to miss it. I can live with Megaman in me for a few more days." Chaud sighed.

"Have it your way. You were supposed to have a rematch with Yai today, but I guess that's off."

"Not quite. Let's go down to the NetBattle Simulator." Lan grinned. "I have a hunch." Chaud pressed him for info, but all Lan wold say was "It's bad luck to speak about hunches before testing them." The three snuck down to the Simulator before Yai was alerted of their presence. Lan put on a BattleFrame and put his PET into the slot. "Now... How will this work..." Lan began searching the BattleFrame for something. "Ah!" What he found was an old PET cord for jacking in. "As I suspected, backwards compatibility. Why they would still have it is beyond me. Anyway..." Lan unrolled the cord and lifted the side of his shirt, revealing a jack-in port. Maylu gasped. "And, how this got here is beyond me." Lan plugged the cord in and hid it under his pants. "Megaman, can you get to the BattleFrame's computer?"

"Yes, but I can't reach the PET. It's got some sort of barrier that might be the firewall." Megaman replied.

"Success! I can use it, but Megaman can't return to the PET. It looks like I could run this without a PET in the slot. Go get Yai." Chaud pulled out his PET and called the strawberry milk lover.

"Yai, Lan's already down here. Do you want a rematch or not?"

"Of course! I'll be right down."

_Something seems off... Why won't this work right? _Chaud puzzled over the BattleFrame, but he couldn't remember why he thought this wouldn't work. In a few minutes, Yai had arrived already in her custom BattleFrame. "Have you set up your wires and loaded your folder?"

"Of course." Lan replied. Yai quickly got ready and they walked to the starting boxes. "Ready?"

"Yes."

"Simulation, online!" Lan mumbled something under his breath.

"What was that?" Yai glared daggers at her opponent.

"Nothing." Yai continued her glare. "I'll warn you, I've gotten better." Yai laughed once.

"Right! You haven't even practiced once since you fell asleep earlier! How did that turn out, by the way?"

"Fine. Everything's back to normal." Lan replied. "Cannonball!" Yai could barely see the motion as Lan slotted the chip. Yai dodged a thrown cannonball as Lan moved to the front of the hole it left. "GodStone!" A light beamed into the hole and a statue emerged. Yai was suddenly bombarded with falling stones. She was hit by the majority of them.

"Wow, you have gotten better..." Yai groaned. "How?" Lan dashed behind her with amazing speed.

"Let's say I've had an... epiphany. WideBlade!" Lan ran the hologram of the sword through Yai, and the blade disappeared.

"Simulation, over. Winners: Lan and NO NAVI." Yai glared at Lan once more.

"No Navi? Are you cheating?" Lan could sware he saw flames in Yai's eyes.

"No!" Lan sighed. "You'll have to let me explain. Let's all go up to my room." Yai glared at him once more.

"Fine. You better have a very good explanation for this." Lan took off his BattleFrame and the quartet began walking upstairs.

"Chaud, why did it say 'No Navi'?" Lan asked Chaud.

"I forgot that it reads Navi data as they are sent into the computer, and you never sent Megaman in from the PET." Chaud answered. "This is so that an autobot doesn't accidentally intrude into a person's private data." Soon they arrived at Lan and Maylu's room. Lan unlocked the door and took his favorite place on his bed. Maylu sat next to him, Yai on the other bed, and Chaud on a chair-and-a-half in the corner.

"Now, what's this 'No Navi' stuff? Since I didn't beat you, I don't get to learn about Form Change, but if you cheated, you have to tell me. No exceptions." Yai was still glaring at Lan.

"Well, it said 'No Navi' because the BattleFrame reads Navi data as it's jacked-in, and I never jacked Megaman in... He was in the BattleFrame, though." Lan replied calmly.

"Let me talk to him." Yai said. Lan's eyes became shifty.

"That's not exactly possible right now..." Lan said quietly. Yai stood up violently.

"Why? You were cheating, I knew it!"

"No." Lan sighed. "I guess I have to show you this." Lan lifted the side of his shirt, revealing his unnatural jack-in port. Yai gasped and fell back into a sitting position on the bed. "I lied when I told you everything went back to normal. After Megaman and I fused, we kinda... got stuck that way." Yai was silent for a few seconds.

"That explains the heightened abilities. You weren't held back by the BattleFrame's relative slowness because you were directly linked." Yai said.

"Yeah, that sounds right." Yai was silent for a few more seconds.

"So, do you have a modern jack-in port, or maybe something that allows you to jack-in?" Yai asked curiously. She had gotten over her initial shock.

"I think you can jack-in to my left eye. But as far as I know, I can't get Megaman out anyway but the old jack-in port. Maylu, could you try jacking-in to me?"

"Are-Are you sure?" Maylu stuttered.

"Yeah. Go ahead." Maylu aimed her PET at Lan's eye and pressed Roll's NaviMark, sending a beam of red light into Lan's eye. Lan squinted a bit, but then re-opened his eye.

"Hey, Roll!" Megaman said.

"Hi, Megaman..." Roll said nervously.

_Hey, Roll, can you hear this?_ Lan thought. Roll was silent.

"Roll, did you hear Lan's voice?" Megaman asked.

"No... Was I supposed to?" Roll replied, still nervous.

"I guess not..." Megaman replied.

"Yeah, my eye's a jack-in port." Lan verified. Megaman and Roll continued chatting idly, slightly irritating Lan.

"That's so cool... Chaud, cover your ears." Chaud complied, and Yai wrapped a pillow around his head. "Gabcom is working on something like that, and you would really help the research, Lan." Yai unwrapped the pillow. "You can uncover you ears now."

"I already know what you were talking about, and IPC is already working on it, too." Yai was taken aback.

"How did you find out about our plan to install jack-in ports on people?" Yai asked.

"You just told me." Chaud answered calmly. He was promptly smacked with a pillow and slapped across the face. Chaud continued, seemingly unfazed. "We're not actually working on something like that, although it's a good idea. However, I highly doubt Lan wants to tell anyone more than he was to about it. He probably doesn't want to be looked upon as a freak or a monster."

"Yeah, Chaud's right." Lan confirmed.

"Anyway, if you have a bio-computer connected to the web, your mind could become infected with viruses and they could take or even change memories. You must take note of this. For that reason alone, I think IPC should take over, or at least help. Gabcom would get as much credit as it is due, of course." Chaud was smacked with the pillow again.

"Never!" Yai returned to the bed and put the pillow away, and her features softened. "I suppose you're right, Chaud. I don't think anyone's really thinking about the security at Gabcom, but it's the first thing you think of." Yai sighed, hating every second of giving into the young businessman. "I'll talk to Daddy about it." Chaud nodded.

"Understood. I will talk to the others at IPC also."

"No! Don't tell them about this until I talk to Daddy. Okay?" Yai pleaded. Chaud agreed quickly, knowing what the girl was going through. She had just given away one of Gabcom's biggest secrets to a rival company. Chaud knew what he would feel like if he ever did that. _What is this feeling I have? _Yai thought. _Is it...? No... It couldn't be! _"Sorry, but I need to go." Yai hurried out of the room and down the hall to the elevator.

"What's with her?" Lan asked. Maylu looked at him.

"Dense person. It probably has to do with what she just said. That or..." Maylu trailed off, staring out the window.

"Or what?" Lan prodded.

"Well, I should probably go talk to her before I start a rumor. Lan, everything said in this room recently is a secret. No one knows but us."

"Fine..." Maylu jacked Roll out and followed Yai down the elevator. Lan looked at Chaud.

"What was that about?" Chaud simply flicked his hair.

"I think I might know, but you're too dense to figure it out." Chaud closed his eyes. "Thing is... I might feel the same way..." Chaud began mumbling in a voice Lan couldn't hear. Lan huffed and sat down on the bed.

"Everyone has gone nuts!"

"Lan... I'm sorry, but I think I know too." Megaman said.

_And you're not going to tell me. _Lan replied.

"Nope! You need a puzzle every now and then."

"Grrahh!" This snapped Chaud out of his daze, and he rose from his chair.

"I need to be going. I'll call your dad to tell him of your odd changes and tell him you'll return in a few days." Chaud walked to the door and waved two fingers. "Che."

* * *


	16. True Limits

**PEJP Bengtzone: **Sorry, Chapter 17 is more like a crossover chapter, with lots of characters showing up. Even if I did want to add stuff from Kingdom Hearts, I really couldn't because I've only played Chain of Memories... and I never really finished that. And, I don't really know when Megaman gets his stuff back from Dat. Probably near the end, that's all I can say. See, around Chapter 9, I realized I had no plot whatsoever, so I had to make one up really quickly, and I'm still making it up, so I don't know what happens later in the story.

**Kasuchi, Koichi: **Whether or not Anetta is a better match, YaixChaud (at least on a sister/brother level) is implied in NT Warrior, particularly when the two get stuck in the elevator and have to climb the shaft. Whee, cyborgs! Ah, well, no hijacking. Fact is, it goes away this chapter, I think. Wrath is revealed in this chapter, too.

**Drengnikrafe: **Thank you for all your praise! I try to make my fanfic(s) interesting, because some of the ones I've read... -shudder-

I'm releasing early because I'm not going to be home most of Saturday, and I wanna look at reviews tomorrow... And I'm bored... So enjoy!

* * *

**CHAPTER 16 : True Limits**

The next day, Chaud was in his office with some IPC business, Laika was called to another part of Sharo for a few days, Yai was doing something secretive in her room, and Lan and Maylu were sightseeing. Maylu had jacked Roll in to Lan, and somehow Megaman had managed to hide their chatter from Lan, although he could stil hear them if he tried. They were currently in a history museum that covered everything from prehistoric ages to a few years ago and more, arranged so that you entered at the beginning of time and ended in a projected future. Most of the visitors thought it extremely cool, and Lan and Maylu were no exception. They were in the Middle Ages, watching Copyroid knights jousting. In another room, there was a knight Copyroid battling a dragon, and in the last one you walked through a simlulation village where all the people were Copyroids. This last room was enormous, complete with houses and stores, designed to make you think you were really in the Middle Ages. In about a half-hour, Lan and Maylu came to this room. As soon as they entered, they were awe-struck at the size. The ceiling even had special projections and reflectors so that it really looked like the sky. The walls had a special design that made it appear that forest stretched from the village borders beyond, and the floor was cobbled. It was like walking into a time machine. As they gazed at the sight, a young girl of about fifteen dressed in peasant clothes approached and curtsied.

"Hello! Welcome to our village of Medra. Would you like me to show you around?" Lan stopped gaping long enough to respond.

"That would be great! My name is Lan, and this is Maylu," he said, gesturing to the pink-haired teen. Maylu curtsied.

"My name is Tessandria, or just Tess for short. If you'll follow me this way..." Tess began to show the couple around this fantasy town. After stopping at two stores and a tavern, they arrived at Tess's house. "This is my home. Please, come in for a bit." As Lan was passing Tess, something fuzzy appeared in Lan's mind.

"You look familiar for some reason..." Tess laughed.

"I've never been outside this village, so I guess I just look like someone you know." Tess lowered her voice. "To keep the 'atmosphere,' I'm not supposed to tell you this, but all of us in this village were based on some random person from the real world." Lan nodded and continued in, where he met Tess's mother, father, and sister. It turned out Tess and her sister Talys were twins. As Lan and Maylu were visiting and learning about the Middle Ages, the lights flickered. Lan looked up.

"What was that? Is the sun running low on battery?" Tess had her index and middle fingers on her ear, and she was nodding slowly.

"There seems to be a glitch. All us Navis are to go to the Net, and all visitors need to exit." Tess said.

"But I can help!" Lan exclaimed. Tess slowly shook her head as Talys entered another room.

"Sorry." Lan pulled out his PET and flashed his Official logo. Tess's expression changed. "That changes everything. Is Maylu an Official too?"

"No, but she can still stay, right? She's just as good as me." Tess hesitated for a moment.

"I guess. She probably won't be allowed to jack-in, however. Allow me to lead you to the maintenance room." Tess's family went offline, leaving Copyroid shells, and Tess lead the couple down a maze of alleyways and into a hidden passage filled with blinking lights and wires. "Careful." The three soon arrived at a huge undergroud computer room. A man in a lab coat was there.

"Tess? Who are these people?!" Tess quickly explained and the man's features softened some. "Lan, go ahead and jack-in. It seems to be a virus. Maylu, I'm sorry, but you couldn't be allowed to jack-in unless it was a dire emergency." He extended his hand as Lan walked over to the panel the man was at. "My name is Olidaro." Lan took the hand and shook it. "Jack-in here." Lan nodded, but then facefaulted.

"I can't jack-in. Maylu and Roll will have to go in my stead."

"Why?"

"It's a REALLY long story. And it's a secret." Olidaro sighed and rubbed his forehead.

"Fine." Maylu quickly jacked Roll out.

"Jack in! Roll! Power up!" Roll soon arrived in the village's cyberspace. What greeted her eyes wasn't pleasant.

"Gen?!" Lana's long-haired Navi swung her head around at the mention of her name.

"Roll. You get around." The words were said in a sarcastic, dry tone.

"Well, trouble seems to follow us wherever we go. But, Gen, why are you doing this?"

"Because I do what I am told." Lana's slightly darkened face appeared on a monitor near Lan.

"Hello, Lan. How is the Chronos saver today?" Lana had the same dry tone as her Navi. "Why isn't Megaman coming in? Or should I say you... Why can't you come in? I'm sure you could." Lana flashed a dark grin and Olidaro stared at Lan.

"What's she talking about?"

"She goes to my school." Lana laughed once.

"And he has a nasty se-cret~!" Lan sighed.

"What I'm showing you doesn't leave this room." Lan lifted the corner of his shirt, revealing his biometric jack-in port. Olidaro gasped.

"How..?" Lan shrugged.

"No idea. But Megaman's stuck in my body--"

"Mind!" Megaman chided.

"Mind, and I can't get him out." Olidaro rubbed his forehead again.

"But, Lan, couldn't you go in?" Lana continued in an innocent voice. "If you look, by now you should have a chip slot on your left shoulder." Lan hurriedly looked, and yes, there was a cross-shaped slot.

_Megaman, read my mind._

"Go for it." Lan pulled a BattleChip out of his folder.

"DoubleSoul NumberSoul, BattleChip in!" Lan plugged the chip in. "Download!" Lan began to glow brightly, temporarily blinding Olidaro, Maylu, and Lana. The light quickly died, and Lan was sporting a visor. "I'm coming, Lana. Just you wait." Lan looked for a few seconds before he found it. A Generation One port. Lan looked at his index and middle fingers for a second before jamming them into the port. His fingers melded to fit the space, and a shadow of Megaman's armor appeared. The armor became solid a split-second before Lan disappeared. He was in the Net, although Megaman had taken over his appearance.

"So the taunts worked. You know..." Gen said casually, "You can't use chips from here." Lan checked something before speaking.

"Cannon, BattleChip in! Download!" A standard cannon appeared and he fired, narrowly missing Gen. The cannon disappeared before Lan spoke again. "Still in NumberSoul." A visor appeared over Lan's eyes and two cursors locked onto Gen. A few readouts quickly scrolled across the screen before it cleared. "Lana!" Lana's face appeared by Gen. "Why did you use it? The DarkChip?" Lana laughed a long, sad laugh.

"No, no. It seems fair to explain this to you before deleting you. See, I have a split personality. The half you see at school is the me I wish I was. This half is the me I am. I got the split during my father's last research experiment. He was researching a way to fuse a NetOp and Navi so perfectly that either could use the NetOp's body. He came so close, too. I agreed to let myself be used. I was always so proud of my father. He never messed up. Anyway, the fusion was a success, I could switch to Gen at anytime, or she could initiate the switch. But no human's body can handle two souls. Our souls were split and Gen was cast back into the PET. But there were consequences. Because our souls had been completely merged, it was impossible to tell one from the other. Even to this day, fifteen years later, we house a half of each other's soul." Lan's eyes widened.

"Twenty years?"

"Navis do not age. Physically, I am fully a NetNavi and fully a human, as is Gen. In our second personality, we both contain the element of darkness, which is why you thought you sensed a DarkChip. Because of our time shared in one body, our personalities always change at the same time. GUILT promised a way to return us to normal... Return the world to normal." Lana's face darkened again. "Did I tell you my father's name? Hikari. Yuiichiro Hikari. But my mother was not Haruka. So, Lan, how does it feel having to fight your half-sister? Your half-sister who, along with GUILT, will restore the SoulNet. And then, humanity will pay for its crimes. Enough of this talk. From now on, I am Wrath. My revenge on Yuiichiro will take time, but it will succeed!" Lan fell to his knees.

"No... no!" Lan closed his eyes and couldn't move. Suddenly he heard Roll's voice.

"Lan... You must fight. Even though she's your half-sister, she will kill you." Lan covered his ears.

"Get out of my head!" Lan began to pant. Maylu walked over to the panel.

"Lan." Maylu spoke and Lan stopped everything while Gen was walking toward him, HeroSword in hand. "I'm sorry." Lan opened his eyes.

"You're... sorry? For... what?" Lan and Maylu both had tears in their eyes.

"Not for. About. I'm sorry about Lana. Nothing can be done but try to get her to see our side of things. To see the world through eyes unclouded by hate." Gen was only a few meters away.

"Thank you... Maylu." Lan's body began to glow purple, as did Maylu's. Gen stopped and Lan quickly stood up. "What is this power?" Readouts flew across Lan's visor before flashing alert signals. "Energy levels rising above 150%? Is this...?"

----------FLASHBACK-------------

Lan was in his Psychology class, one of his favorites. He loved hearing about the human mind and its limitless power. The teacher was talking about something called a 'True Limit.'

"... The name is actually misleading, because it really isn't the limit. Basically, a True Limit is the limit past something's limit. Some inanimate objects even have True Limits, but they rarely, if ever, activate, and only when the True Limit of an organic creature nearby has been activated. Humans can surpass their normal limits, or Physical Limits, more easily then any other organism on Earth, but usually only under extreme danger or emotional stress. The few that can willingly extend Physical and True Limits are called Edgeriders, and there is an estimated three in the world. That's one for every two million people on the Earth.  
Anyway, when someone has surpassed a Physical Limit, he or she will experience heightened courage and strength. Usually brain capacity will be enhanced as well, allowing better thinking. Also, when a Physical Limit has been passed, you will immediately jump to the True Limit. There are very, very few reported cases of someone passing a True Limit, although in the reported cases, something paranormal will happen, from glowing humans to temporary mutations. The cause of surpassing a True Limit to a Mental Limit is unknown, and you can exist at a level anywhere in between a True and Mental Limit.  
Navis have been known to surpass Physical Limits, but very rarely, and never True Limits. A Mental Limit is the last limit a person can have. Theoretically, if this limit were to be surpassed, your soul and mind would have reached a higher plane then your body could support, and you would drift out of your body like a ghost. No known person has passed a Mental Limit. Even Egderiders cannot."

--------END FLASHBACK-----------

"... The True Limit? I must be at the threshold." Gen began to reapproach.

"So, you have reached your True Limit." Lana laughed. "Well, that can be matched. Gen, let's go. We'll delete my brother and satisfy my revenge on Yuiichiro." Gen charged and Lan dodged with blinding speed.

"Sword, BattleChip in. Download." The standard weapon appeared on Lan's arm and he dashed in towards Gen. Gen dodged, attacking with her standard weapon, the Eon Buster. Lan was hit but took minimal damage. "WideBlade, BattleChip in. Download." The WideBlade appeared on Lan's other hand, and he dashed at Gen swinging two swords.

"FireSword! AquaSword!" Gen gained her own weapons and began to parry Lan's attacks.

"LongBlade, BattleChip in. Download. Program Advance!" Lan's hands flashed for a few seconds before the LifeSword appeared in his hands.

"How could you do that so quickly? No matter. ElecSword, BambooSword! Program Advance!" Gen's hands began to glow and quickly formed the ElementSword. Lan's eyes were emotionless as he and Gen traded blows.

"Why is this combination of chips called a Program Advance? It is a higher form of weapon, that's all. No, a true Program Advance, that would be an upgrade. So, Megaman, what is a Program Advance?"

"A Program Advance is a true fusion of Navi and NetOp." Megaman held the same emotionless tone as he turned to Gen. "Just like what you and Lana shared for a time." Lan and Megaman were both talking through the same body.

"Just like what we now share!" Lan and Megaman said together. Lan glowed brighter for a second before a powerful aura surrounded him. Readouts flew across his visor before it shut off and he fell out of NumberSoul.

"You... have breached the True Limit." Lana smirked. "Finally, a real fight!"

"DoubleSoul GenSoul, BattleChip in." Lan quickly emerged in a headband with Gen's NaviMark emblazoned on it, a grey bodysuit with brown-blue hair to his chest.

"I forgot you had that." Lana mused. "No matter. Gen, end it quickly!" Gen raised her hand, palm up.

"Generation Splitter!" A red energy began forming in her hand as she kept it to the sky. Lan mimicked the move, but a grey energy formed in his hand instead. Both Navis released the attack at the same time. Many sharp grey boomerangs flew towards Gen as she clenched her hand with her index and middle fingers out. She made a slashing motion at Lan with these two fingers, and a massive gash appeared across Lan's chest. Lan made no sound of pain.

"So the move can change." Lan was bleeding profusly, not de-rezzing for some reason. Maylu thought it was because Lan was in there, not just Megaman, but she wasn't sure. "I'm truly sorry, Lana and Gen. Your final destination is hell." Lan raised his hand again. "Final Formation." Lan only whispered as ghosts of all the Navis he had DoubleSouled with appeared. Fireman, Elecman, Thunderman, Woodman, Medi, Roll, Iceman, Shadowman, Tomahawkman, Gyroman, Protoman, Gutsman, Searchman, Magicman, Colonel, Magnetman, and finally Gen. "This might be overkill." First, Magnetman parylyzed Gen, and then all the other Navis launched their standard attacks. After each attacked, they disappeared. When all the Navis were gone, a ghost of BassCross Megaman and Bass appeared next to Lan and flew into the sky.

"Logout, Gen!" Lana quickly slammed Gen's NaviMark and Gen disappeared just as BassCross Megaman and Bass launched a Double Earthbreaker. Lan fell to the ground, a pool of blood already forming beneath him.

"Maylu... It's my turn... to say... sorry." Suddenly Lan left the Net and returned to the real world, still bleeding. Megaman remained in the Net, de-rezzing badly. Olidaro quickly bandaged the wound and hurried both NetOp and Navi to the hospital. Fortunatly, the wound wasn't deep, and it was treated and bandaged properly. Megaman wasn't so lucky. His data was badly mangled from leaving Lan's body too quickly and under so much stress. Olidaro quickly strung together a program to contain Megaman and sent him to SciLab for treatment, and Roll hurried after him. Lan eventually opened his eyes and saw a white ceiling. He was in a hospital bed.

"Lan!" Lan slowly turned his head.

"Maylu. How long was I out?" Lan spoke his words weakly.

"Four hours."

"And have you been here the whole time?" Lan eased himself into a sitting position.

"Of course. Where else would I be?" Lan shrugged slightly.

"Is Megaman okay?" Maylu's face fell.

"He was sent to SciLab. His injuries were at least twice as bad as yours." Lan's face fell for a second, then brightened.

"Dad will fix him. Maylu, where's Olidaro?" Maylu told him to wait and then retrieved Olidaro from the hall outside. "Olidaro... Remember that everything that happened today is confidential. No one should know." Olidaro nodded.

"I understand." Lan called the nurse and Olidaro passed her on his way out.

"When can I leave?"

"No sooner then two days."

"No, that won't work. I need to be somewhere tomorrow." The nurse chuckled.

"No can do. Your wound will open if you do any form of activity right now."

"All I need to do is go to a NetBattle Contest."

"No, you can't NetBattle right now."

"I'm not participating, I'm watching." The nurse sighed.

"... Fine. I can see there's no stopping you. You must not do any major bending or exercise, etcetera."

"I've had worse. Trust me, I'm fine."

"Also, Megaman cannot join you. He will take an estimated three days to get functional, and another day to finish. I will arrange for it all. Please rest." The nurse walked out of the room quietly, and Lan sighed contentedly.

"You didn't need to do that." Maylu said quietly.

"Yes, I did. I need to be there."

"Why?"

"Because I said I would be."

"Oh, Lan..." Maylu gingerly hugged the teen, causing him to blush. "Thank you."

"You should get some rest, too. Tell the nurse when and where it is, and I'll be there cheering you on." Maylu blushed this time.

"Okay." Maylu hugged Lan once more and walked out to find the nurse. Lan laid back down on the bed thinking of Maylu.


	17. Sunrise Competition

**PEJP Bengtzone: **Sora is... well, read! No, nothing at the SciLabs, and no Cure.

**Kasuchi, Koichi: **GenSoul was at the beginning of Chapter 7. Any of the Souls that were mentioned that Megaman hasn't gotten... well... he got them at some point in time. There's about two years in between NT Warrior/MMBN 6 and this story. No, you didn't miss anything. Drengnikrafe used 'crossovers' as 'references.' **Does** Haruka know about Lana? Ehehehe...

**Drengnikrafe: **Again, thank you for the praise! You know what's really sad? I don't know what exposition means. I have to go look it up. So, thank you for the vocabulary increase! Now that I've looked it up, your review makes sense now! Yay! By the way, I've never seen DBZ.

Hey, does anyone know where the 'eyes unclouded by hate' line that Maylu said in the last chapter came from? I'm just wondering, cause if you know, you know one of my most favorite anime ever.

Disclaimer: !!Contains Spoilers!! The Disclaimer is at the bottom, so... don't look.

**

* * *

**

CHAPTER 17 : Sunrise Competition

Maylu left early for the competition. When she arrived, three others were milling around in the lobby. Maylu approched two, a teenage boy carrying a book and the girl with him.

"Is this where the Sunrise NetBattle competition is?" Both turned to face Maylu. The boy had short brown hair and brown eyes, and the girl had twinkling blue eyes, short orange-red hair, and a golden shawl with a yellow dress.

"Yes." Maylu looked confused for a second but quickly got over it. "I am Yumil, and this is my girlfriend Fana." Fana curtsied. "Actually... She's more like my wife ever since that pledge... Anyway, what's your name?"

"I'm Maylu." She curtsied in return.

"Maylu, do you happen to know where we are? We both heard a voice saying 'You have been chosen to compete,' and then we ended up here with these strange devices. Even more oddly, we already know how to use them perfectly." Yumil pulled out a green PET and showed it to Maylu. The Navi was a young girl wearing a green dress. She was wearing flowers... and her legs were chained. "This is Miele. She was a fairy where I came from, but now..." Fana also showed her Navi to Maylu. She was a young blue girl with a blue dress and a chain around her neck. Both Navis had wings. Fana informed Maylu her Navi was called Neaki, and also was a fairy. "Now, do you know where we are?"

"This is Sharo, year 20XX." Yumil gasped.

"20XX? We've traveled over one thousand years into the future! Was this the Book of Prophecy's doing?"

"Book of Prophecy? Is that the book under your arm?" Yumil took out the book and opened it.

"Yes. Our world was ending, and I was given the task of recording everything worth saving. It ended up not having to end so soon... I guess it still hasn't ended. Or maybe it did. From the bit of research I did when I got here, you didn't invent guns for hundreds of years after we had them." Yumil flipped through a few pages and paused at one. "This is your page." Yumil showed Maylu a page with her picture on it.

"When did I get a page?" Yumil sighed.

"This is always so hard to explain. See, to have a page, I have to Code Scan something by hitting it with the Book of Prophecy. Did you feel confused a minute of two ago?"

"Yes..."

"That was when I Code Scanned you. No one remembers being Code Scanned."

"Well, it was nice meeting you. I should probably go tell someone I'm here..." Mayluwalked inside a small stadium to an information booth. "Hello, I'm Maylu Sakurai. I'm here for the NetBattle competition."

"Yes, we know. You really couldn't have avoided being here, because we needed someone from this dimension. You, or at least someone else from this time, would have ended up here anyway." Maylu had a confused look on her face.

"... What?"

"Never mind. You'll find out soon enough. Please wait in the lobby with the others." Maylu sighed and returned to the lobby. She found Yumil and Fana and told them of the odd secretary.

"So... What does this mean?" Yumil asked. Maylu shrugged.

"It means we'll find out soon enough? I don't know." Suddenly, the double doors at the back of the lobby flew open with a bang that silenced everyone. In the opening there was a lone figure covered with a long black cloak. His face was obscured as well.

"If you are here for the Sunrise NetBattle competition, please follow me." The man did an about-face and began to walk down the hall behind the doors. Everyone followed him, quietly mumbling. They soon arrived in a semi-circle shaped room with a TV and a large couch. "This is the waiting room. The TV will be tuned to the competition. Please have a seat and wait for the pairings to be posted. The competition is single elimination, tournament style. There are ten combatants. All but you four are independent Navis." The man turned and exited through a door at the other end of the room. Yumil and Fana sat in one corner of the couch, and the other participant sat at the other end. Maylu approached this other person, a lithe woman who was probably in her late 20s or early 30s. She had blond hair tied in a ponytail and a form-fitting blue jumpsuit.

"Hello, I'm Maylu." The woman looked up.

"I am Samus, intergalactic bounty hunter. Do you know where I am?"

Intergalactic? "Yeah, you're in Sharo, year 20XX."

"20XX... The Space Pirates must have been the ones who sent me back over five hundred years."

"Space Pirates? I'm sorry, you're not making much sense." Samus sighed.

"Where I come from, five hundred years in the future, the Space Pirates are the Federation's worst enemies. They continue to raid and plunder planets, no matter how many times I defeat them. I usually have a special suit of armor called the Power Suit, engineered by the alien race I was raised by, the Chozo. I wasn't wearing it when I was teleported here." Maylu was the one to sigh this time.

"So, you're from the future, and Yumil and Fana from the past. Curious... Or all three of you are insane."

"I am NOT insane!" Samus yelled. Maylu took a step back.

"Okay! I didn't think so in the first place..." Samus turned away in a huff, and Maylu sat in the center of the couch. Suddenly, the TV turned on to a stadium with about a thousand people in it. The camera scanned the crowd, then zoomed in on the commentator.

"Here we are in Sharo, at a battle of the times! This is Sunrise Competition!" The screen changed to a blue background with ten boxes on it. These boxes had lines connecting them in pairs of two. Inside the boxes were question marks. "And now, the standings!" The boxes began to rapidly change from one face to another for a few seconds, then they stopped and zoomed in on the first two. "First match is... Two independent Navis, Sora versus Link! Link is a hero from Hyrule, wielding a sword along with many other versatile weapons. Sora hails from Traverse Town, wielding a key-shaped sword called the Keyblade!" The camera zoomed in on the holographic arena to watch the fight. On one side, Link appeared. He was wearing a green tunic and had a sword and shield on his back. His hair was a yellow color covered by a green cap with a tail. On his right hand there was a NaviMark of a golden triangle with three triangles inside. The triangle on the right was brighter than the others. Sora had spiky brown hair, modern-ish clothes, and a key-shaped sword on his belt.

Where have I seen these Navis before? Maylu thought. They both look familiar... Come to think of it, so do Samus, Yumil, and Fana. Sora pulled out the Keyblade and pointed it at Link.

"I'll defeat you and discover why I was sent here!" Link said nothing, but drew his sword. A bell rang, and Sora charged. Link blocked and counted, scoring a minor hit. "Fire!" Sora produced a blue card and used it to launch a fireball at Link. The Hero of Time wasn't expecting this, and was hit by the flaming projectile. Link pulled a round, blue-black object out of somewhere and threw it at Sora. As the object hit the ground, it exploded. Sora took minor damage because he was at the edge of the blast range. Link then puled out his bow and began rapidly firing arrows at Sora. "Fira!" This time, Sora pulled out two blue cards and launched a bigger fireball at Link. This time, Link was ready. He pulled out his shield, which promptly absorbed the blazing ball. Link smirked slightly. "Firaga!" Sora produced three cards this time and launched a massive fireball at Link. Link's shield absorbed this attack too. "Blizzara!" Soraagain pulled out two cards, but the attack this time was a blast of ice. Link rolled to the side, dodging the attack. Link raised his sword in the air and it began to shine brightly. Link was engulfed in a red tornado, and he emerged in a red tunic. Link raised his sword again, and suddenly both combatants were in a volcano, lava all around their stone battlefield. Sora fell to one knee. "The heat..." He slowly stood up. "What did you do?!"

"Scene Change." Link spoke no more after that, letting the announcer to the explaining.

"Link has two abilities, Equip Change and Scene Change. This first ability allows him to switch between weapons and clothes, and the second allows him to change the battlefield itself," the announcer said. "It's said he has a third ability, but he hasn't shown it yet." Suddenly a column of lava rose out of the center of the arena and came down directly on Link. The green Navi smirked and raised his shield, which absorbed the entire stream. Link spun around and aimed his now glowing shield at Sora. As the shield began to glow a brighter red, Sora's face changed from confusion to alarm.

"Oh, no." A massive blast of fire shot out of Link's shield and hit Sora head-on.

"Link's used the Mirror Shield! This magical shield can absorb elemental attacks and return them with doubled force!" The instant the fire blast was over, Link raised his sword and gained a blue tunic. The battlefield soon changed to a frozen lake. Sora barely had time to take a breath before he was enveloped in freezing water.

"Looks like Link has used Scene Change to change the battlefield to the Zora's Domain! Sora will have to finish this quick, his air will only last for five minutes! Lucky for him, the stage will revert to normal in ten minutes. If he can only take a breath... But that ice looks thick!" The announcer continued his play-by-play as the Navis began their underwater fight. Sora's movement was extremely hampered as he attempted to swing the Keyblade. Link was completely unfazed by the water as he jabbed rapidly at Sora. Then Sora had an idea.

"Thundaga!" Sora revealed three blue cards as quickly as he could, and Link's eyes widened. Link charged, but it was too late. Sora released the attack, and the water became charged with massive amounts of electricity, doing double damage to Link's current Aqua element. The battlefield reverted to normal, and Link fell to the ground, panting heavily. Sora walked over and held the Keyblade to Link's neck, oblivious to the glowing NaviMark on Link's hand. "Yield." Link smirked.

"You lose." Link's NaviMark grew brighter, and Link quickly shot Sora with the Hookshot, a special grappling hook. He used this weapon to reel himself up and drew his sword. Two images of Link's NaviMark sandwiched Sora, leaving him helpless. "Triforce Slash!" Link proceeded to slash at him multiple times before ending with an uppercut slice that sent the already badly damaged Sora flying into the air. Soon he landed on the ground hard. Sora groaned. He was de-rezzing in a few places.

"Looks like you win, Link." Sora slowly got up and shook hands with Link.

"Incredible! Link has won with his finishing move, the Triforce Slash! Link goes on to the second round, and Sora will be returned to his time." A blue light surrounded Sora, and a few clocks began rotating around him too.

"Slow?" Sora began to grow distorted and pale, then vanished in a flash of light.

"Link, please return to the virtual waiting room." Link walked over to the now-activated portal and stepped in. Back in the real waiting room, the blue screen with the boxes appeared on the TV again. This time, the box with Sora on in was greyed out. The camera zoomed in on the next two boxes. The pictures on these boxes were of Samus and a round, pink ball. The camera switched to the announcer. "The next two contestants are the intergalactic bounty hunter, Samus, and the hero of Dream Land, Kirby!" Samus stood up quietly and walked through the door. The camera zoomed in on her as soon as she was in sight. She walked up to the jack-in panel, put her hand on it... and disappeared! The camera switched to the battlefield, where Samus and Kirby had arrived. "Battle... start!" A bell rang, and Samus charged. Kirby looked around nonchalantly, and was an easy target for Samus's hand gun, the Paralyzer. Kirby was knocked back slightly, but recovered. He looked at Samus questioningly, then proceeded to looking around. When Samus approached, however, he whipped out a hammer from who knows where and hit her with it. Hard. Samus wasn't expecting this and was thrown onto her back a few yards away. Kirby waved his hands above his head.

"Baiyou!" Samus jumped to her feet and rubbed her head.

"Fighting him seems familiar... Ah, no matter. I've taken enough damage." Samus tapped her wrist, and a orange suit of futuristic armor emerged from the ground. The armor had a T-shaped visor on the helmet and a cannon on its right arm. She quickly stepped into it, and it closed around her.

"Samus has used her special ability, Suit Change! At certain amounts of damage, she can advance a suit, giving her more power and defence! This time, she has gone from the Zero Suit to the Varia Suit!" Samus charged again, prepared for the hammer. She wasn't prepared for what happened next. Kirby opened his mouth and took a big breath, sucking Samus in! Kirby spit Samus out, but he had gained a helmet identical to Samus's that covered his entire body.

"What?" Kirby quickly whipped out an Arm Cannon and began to charge up a shot. When the energy ball was big enough, Kirby fired. Samus easily dodged. "He copied me?"

"Kirby's special ability, Copy! He can suck enemies up to transform into miniature versions of them, gaining their powers!"

"Well, two can play that game." Samus fired a missile at Kirby, who dodged it by jumping into the air. And... he puffed up and jumped again. And again. He just kept jumping and jumping until he was high above Samus. Then he turned into a rock and fell on top of Samus, sending her flying. As soon as he hit the ground, he turned back into Samus Kirby and fired a small laser beam. The beam passed over Samus harmlessly, as she was lying on the ground. She groaned and got up. Samus then tapped her wrist, and her suit changed colors to a blue and purple color scheme. The battlefield also changed into a lake.

"Samus has again used Suit Change, this time to change into the Gravity Suit! This suit allows her to move freely underwater, along with boosting her combat capabilities."

"Baiyou!" Kirby waved his hands above his head, discarding the helmet he was wearing.

"I'm tired of your antics. I'm going to finish this here and now." Samus began to charge up her Arm Cannon. Just when everyone thought it had reached the max, it kept charging. Kirby was swimming around, having a grand time. Samus aimed... "Zero Laser!!" Samus fired a huge, slow-moving laser at Kirby. It caught him and pushed him along, causing significant damage. When the barrage ended, Kirby couldn't get up. Samus had to pay the price for the powerful attack, however, and her armor fell off, returning her to the blue bodysuit.

"Kirby is down and out! Samus is the winner of this round!" A blue light surrounded Kirby, and he too 'returned to his own time' as the announcer put it. Samus stepped into the portal and returned to the real world. She walked down the corridor to the waiting room, where she sat back down in the couch and looked off into the distance. The TV returned to the pairings screen, and Kirby's box became greyed. The camera switched to the next two boxes. "The next battle will be between Maylu Sakurai and Roll, and Fana and Neaki!" Both girls walked out to the middle of the stadium. Maylu quickly scanned the crowd, finding Lan in the back. A nurse was nearby, nagging Lan every so often. Even from this distance, Maylu could tell he was really annoyed. Maylu and Fana jacked in and their Navis entered the NetBattle machine.

"No matter who wins, no hard feelings, right?" Maylu called to her opponent, who nodded and smiled. The bell rang, but both Navis stood there for a second. "Aqua Tower!" Maylu made the first move, and Roll launched a tower of water at Neaki. The icy fairy outstretched her hand and froze the pillar, then returned to floating. "Fire Tower!" Roll launched a pillar of fire this time, but it was turned to steam by Neaki's ice. Maylu held a BattleChip above her head and brought it down on her PET. "Burner!" Roll began to glow with a red aura as she moved towards Neaki. "AreaGrab!" Roll vanished and appeared right in front of Neaki, then heated her body to maximum, hurting the cold fairy. Neaki jumped back and resumed hovering.

"Maylu, they're up to something."

"I think so too."

"You're right." Fana's voice was soft and charming, instantly captivating a better part of the men in the audience. "Magic, BattleChip in. Download!" Neaki's body was surrounded with a chilly aura, then she launched a shockwave that instantly froze Roll.

"And to think I just used Burner... Oh well." Maylu checked Roll's HP meter to note the attack's damage, and made a startling discovery: Roll was still taking damage at an alarming rate. "What?"

"Magic is Neaki's only attack, but it does lots of damage. From what Yumil told me, Roll has about 1600 HP... and he wouldn't change someone's codes to give me an advantage."

"What?" Maylu repeated, obviously confused. "Oh, never mind. MiniBomb, BattleChip in! Quintuple download!" Maylu jammed five MiniBombs she had borrowed from Lan into her PET's chip slot, and small blue spheres with a single green stripe fell from the sky, freeing Roll. "Roll, that attack alone did enough damage. Ready?"

"Always, Maylu." Maylu pressed a white-tinted version of Roll's NaviMark, and the Form Change begun. Roll quickly emerged from the transformation.

"Roll: White Form!" Both Navi and NetOp spoke in unison as the announcer explained. Fana didn't look surprised.

"I was waiting to see your ability, as compared to the others. Now let the battle truly begin!"

* * *

Disclaimer: Link, Kirby and Samus both property of Nintendo. Yumil, Miele, Neaki and Fana property of Marvelous Entertainment Inc. Django property of Konami. Sora is the property of Disney/Square Enix.

* * *


	18. Future and Past

**PEJP Bengtzone: **I'm not ignoring 'the fact that all characters exist in different worlds,' I'm choosing to believe that all characters live on Earth (or Earth exists somewhere if the character doesn't live on Earth), because if all games, movies, and anime/manga were real, that's how it would be. Samus was investigating a barren Earth when she was teleported, as she says later, and I'm using the Chain of Memories Sora, and I think that Castle Oblivion exists on Earth. Most of these characters won't be returning, I'm only putting them in because you asked for most of them to make appearances.

**KK the Prophet: **Yeah, this is kinda like Smash Bros.That's why Samus says fighting Kirby seems familiar. Yeah, I hope Megaman is in the next Smash Bros.game. Someone you are least expecting will appear this chapter... Yumil, Fana, Miele, and Neaki are from a game called Avalon Code. Thanks for the clarification, I'll go fix that.

**Drengnikrafe: **... Where are you? Eh, I'm sure you'll review soon.

Disclaimer: !! Contains Spoilers (again) !! The disclaimer is at the bottom.

I'm sorry that I uploaded late, wouldn't let me upload the chapter yesterday.

Did no one get the reference Maylu made when she spoke about 'eyes unclouded by hate'? I'll give you one more chapter to find it... Whoever guesses right gets a cookie!

**

* * *

**

**CHAPTER 18 : Future and Past**

"Cannon!" Maylu slotted-in the low-power chip as Roll began to chant.

"Cannon so weak, cannon so trite, combine with my Aura Spite!" Roll materialized a blue-black cannon and fired. Neaki didn't even try to dodge, and she was hit. She took moderate damage.

"Magic!" Fana inserted the BattleChip, but nothing happened. "What?"

"Aura Spite is an attack that surrounds the user with an aura. When the user is hit, the aura is transfered to the attacker, making it so that he can't use that attack for a certain period of time. Combining it with a cannon just makes it long-range." Fana smiled.

"Well, we have an ability too. Neaki?" Neaki nodded her head, and a stone tablet rose from the ground in front of her. Neaki flashed, and the chain around her neck fell to the ground and vanished along with the tablet.

"That's better." Neaki's voice was cold and slightly raspy. It had a hint of relief, though. "Now you can see my true power!"

"Magic, BattleChip in! Triple download! Program Advance!" Neaki gained a sky-blue aura. "Icy Oblivion!" This time, a massive blast rushed towards Roll at sickening speed. The blast hit Roll and exploded, emitting lots of steam and blocking Roll from view. Suddenly, Roll shot out of the cloud and punched with a GoldFist. Neaki was thrown back quite a long way.

"Why weren't you logged out?" Neaki's emotionless voice took on a tone of surprise. Roll smiled.

"Fire Tower and Barrier200. Together they were enough to deter your attack."

"Well, that's okay. I'll just use it again! Magic, BattleChip in! Triple download!"

"Icy Oblivion!" Neaki launched the attack again, but this time Roll avoided damage with a StoneBody. "Stop blocking my attacks!" Fana inserted three more Magic BattleChips. "Icy Oblivion!" Just as the attack was about to hit Roll, she became totally black.

"...Shadow3. Wonderful. IceBlade, BattleChip in! Magic, BattleChip in! Quintuple download! Program Advance!" Fana used three IceBlade and two Magic BattleChips, and Neaki's arms turned into IceBlades.

"Icy Finality!" Neaki raised her arms above her head and formed a sky-blue version of the LifeSword. She then released two Icy Oblivion attacks, which passed through Roll. Neaki charged at Roll.

"StepSword! HeroSword! StepCross!" Roll's arms began to glow as Neaki got closer. As Neaki slashed, creating a massive shockwave, Roll disappeared, only to reappear behind Neaki, spin around, and slash three times, forcing Neaki to the ground.

"Looks like... you win." Fana pressed Neaki's NaviMark, an icy staff, and Neaki logged out. Maylu also jacked out.

"Fana and Neaki have lost! However, they will be returned when Yumil and Miele return. Please return to the waiting room." Maylu and Fana did so, and the TV switched to the pairings again. Fana's box was greyed, and it switched to the next pairing. There was a young man with light brown, spiky hair and a beam sword with a green hilt, and a large, blue, spiky-haired hedgehog who walked on two legs. "The next match is between the Solar Boy Django and Sonic the Hedgehog! Django is a young boy who fights using the power of the sun and the Gun Del Sol. Sonic is the world's fastest hedgehog, and the hero of Mobius." When the bell rang, Sonic dashed off towards Django at an incredible rate. As he was running, he suddenly transformed into a spinning ball and bashed into Django. Django was not expecting this and was thrown onto his back.

"You're too slow!" Sonic started running circles around Django. Django quickly drew his sword and stabbed. Sonic couldn't stop and ran right into it, knocking the wind out of him and sending him to the ground. Sonic groaned.

"You're too fast." Django raised his sword and stabbed at Sonic. Sonic pulled a golden ring out of somewhere and used it to block the sword. Then, Sonic closed his fist around the ring and jumped up, the ring nowhere to be seen.

"Chaos Emerald!" A large purple gem arose from Sonic's hand and fired a laser at Django. Django dodged quickly and fired with the Gun Del Sol. The laser hit Sonic and he groaned. "I'm just gonna finish this. Chaos Emeralds!" Seven gems began to spin around Sonic, gradually getting faster and faster. "Super Sonic!" Sonic's body changed to a gold color as the Emeralds were absorbed.

"Finally, you're still. Piledriver!" Time stopped as Django raised his hand into the air and four generators appeared around Sonic. Sonic was trapped in a coffin as the generators fired a massive beam of sunlight at Sonic. When Sonic broke out of the coffin he was back to his normal blue color and badly damaged.

"What a short battle. Guess I lose."

"Sonic has lost and will be returned to his own time!" A single flash and Sonic was gone. Django walked over to the exit portal and stepped into it. Back on the TV, Sonic's box was greyed and the TV zoomed in on the next two boxes. Maylu gasped.

"Geo?!" The pictures on the boxes were Geo and Yumil. The camera switched to a corridor on the other side of the room that Geo was coming out of. He was waving, although Maylu could tell that he was confused. Yumil left the room and began walking toward the NetBattle machine.

"Geo's Navi is an alien from Planet FM, Omega-Xis, who can fuse with him to become Mega Man! Fighting him is Yumil, the only one who can wield the Book of Prophecy and the hero of Kaleila!" Both teens had reached the machine.

"Jack-in! Miele! Power up!"

"Jack-in! Omega-Xis! Power up!" Omega-Xis was a green ghost-type Navi with various adornments. A bell rang and Omega-Xis charged. Yumil opened his book and set it on the console in front of him. He flipped a few pages quickly and tapped a picture, causing a BattleChip to emerge.

"Spartan Guard, BattleChip in! Download!" Miele gained a tough grey shield on her left arm and used it to block Omega-Xis's punches. Yumil flipped a few more pages before stopping. "Stone Tusk, BattleChip in! Download!" A long weapon that was thick near the hilt and pointy near the top appeared in her right hand. Miele struck a combat pose and waited.

"WoodSword, BattleChip in!" Omega-Xis's right arm changed into a glowing green sword and he charged again. Miele blocked with her shield and countered with the rapier, scoring a small hit.

"Giant's Grand Hammer, BattleChip in! Download!" Miele's shield disappeared and a massive hammer took its place.

"Buki3, BattleChip in! Download!" Omega-Xis also obtained a hammer, and the fight continued. Omega-Xis slashed and Miele countered with the hammer. Omega-Xis intercepted it with his own hammer, breaking both of them.

"Bewitching Katana Muramasa!" Miele now got a long purple blade with a a black aura in place of the broken hammer.

"Muramasa!" Omega-Xis also got the forbidden blade, and the stalemate continued. Soon, the Stone Tusk and the WoodSword broke.

"Can you match the power of the Secret Sword Dark Star?" Miele ditched the Muramasa for a glowing steel sword she held with both hands. Omega-Xis charged with the Muramasa, and Miele brought down the Dark Star, shattering the Muramasa in one blow.

"Fine, I'll stop matching your weapon. HiCannon, BattleChip in! Download!" Omega-Xis's arm turned into a blue cannon and he fired. Miele dodged and advanced.

"Spirit Magic: Miele!" Miele stopped and caught Omega-Xis in a massive twister, causing significant damage before releasing him.

"EM Wave Change! Geo Stellar, On The Air!" Geo slammed a blank chip into his PET and the teal device began to glow. Geo and Omega-Xis also began to glow, and Omega-Xis changed form to a brown spiky-haired human with a helmet over the front half of his face, a visor, and Omega-Xis's head on his right arm. He actually looked like Geo with a lot of fancy armor. Geo was glowing with a blue-green aura. "GeminiThunder, BattleChip in! Download!" Omega-Xis put his arms together and fired a massive blast of lightning, catching Miele by surprise and doing major damage.

"Fine, it's time to step it up. Creation Genesis, BattleChip in! Download! Gold Cookie, BattleChip in! Download!" Miele's sword was swapped for a golden blade shaped like a double helix with a holy aura, and a gold cookie appeared, which Miele promptly ate to regain most of her health. Yumil pulled out a few chips. "Spirit Magic: Renpo, Spirit Magic: Miele, Spirit Magic: Neaki, Spirit Magic: Ur, Kullervo, BattleChips in! Quintuple download! Program Advance: Spirit Demon!" A flaming Spirit with his arms chained, Neaki, and a yellow Spirit with his eyes chained appeared. The flaming Spirit, Renpo, launched multiple flaming towers, Miele attacked with her twister, Neaki used her ice blast, and Ur, the yellow Spirit, attacked with a huge lightningbolt. Suddenly, a massive humanoid demon arose from behind Miele and began pounding the battlefield with his fists before firing a laser beam across the rest of it. Omega-Xis was hit by many of the attacks, and the wounds were faintly visible on Geo.

"Is that... all you've got?" Geo smirked and wiped some blood away fom his mouth. "Omega Cannon!" Geo slammed a chip into his PET, and Omega-Xis leapt into the air before pulling out a huge cannon and firing on the tired fairy. The blast hit dead-on and took most of Miele's HP. "Now, for the final blow!" Geo looked at the camera and smiled. "Recognize it, Lan? DarknessHole, BattleChip in! Download!" A black vortex appeared under Miele and the rest of her HP was drained, forcing her to logout.

"Geo and Omega-Xis are the winners!" Yumil waved once before the flash, and he was gone. In the waiting room, Fana also disappeared with a flash. "This ends the first round of battles! There will be a two-hour intermission while we prepare for the next round, so go... do something!" Maylu left the waiting room and followed signs to the exit, where Lan was waiting for her.

"That was great! We should probably go find Geo, since he knows us." Maylu nodded, and after walking around for a few minutes, they found him arguing with his PET. "Geo!" Geo stopped and looked at them.

"Hi! Hey, do you know why we're back here?" Lan and Maylu shook their heads.

"No. Chances are you'll return when you lose, or if you win the finals." Geo turned to Maylu.

"Maylu, we'll probably have to fight each other at some point, so let's go all out, okay?" Maylu nodded.

"Of course!"

"Hey, Geo, what was that cool glowing-thing you did?" Geo turned back to Lan.

"That was our version of Perfect Syncro, I suppose. In the future, I can EM Wave Change into Mega Man, but I'm still in this world instead of the internet. Here it was kind of modified so that we're perfectly fused, and we can use as many GigaChips as we'd like."

"Hey, Megaman! I wanna fight you!" Omega-Xis yelled from Geo's PET. Lan shrugged.

"Sorry, Megaman's really beat up right now. For that matter, so am I." Lan showed Geo his bandage, and Omega-Xis flinched.

"Ow. You must really like fighting." Lan sadly shook his head.

"Not that kind. Hey, what should we do until the next round?" Geo shrugged.

"I don't live here, so I've got no idea." A rumbling sound was heard. "Maybe we could get some food?"

"Sounds good to me. Maylu?"

"Sure. Are you buying?" Lan laughed.

"I guess. Geo, do you have money?" Geo searched his PET for a while before finding what he was looking for.

"Yeah."

"Cool. Well..." Lan pulled out his PET and tapped a few buttons. "There's a pizza place near here. Sound good?"

"I could eat a pizza." The three teens walked off, unaware that a hooded figure was watching them from the shadows.

"Light and darkness... bring chaos!"

----------

"What do you want, Maylu?" Lan, Maylu, and Geo were seated in a booth waiting for their waiter. Lan and Maylu were sitting on the same side of the table, facing Geo.

"Umm... I guess I'll have pepperoni." Lan picked up a menu and glanced through it before stopping, his mouth watering. "Lan?" Lan continued to stare, ignoring everything else.

"Curry... flavored... pizza!" Maylu and Geo sweatdropped.

"Lan, I can't even begin to imagine how that sounds good." Geo said.

"You're not the only one." Maylu replied.

"May I take your order?"

"Yeah, I'll have a slice of that curry pizza." Lan's mouth was watering as he said it.

"Pepperoni for me." Maylu added.

"And supreme for me." Geo finished.

"Will that be all?" Lan looked at Maylu.

"Do you want something to drink?"

"Sure! I'll have some Pepsi."

"Same here." Lan replied. The waiter looked at Geo.

"Water." The waiter finished writing and looked up.

"I'll be back as soon as it's done." The waiter moved on to the next table and continued taking orders. Suddenly Samus walked up to Maylu.

"Maylu, be on guard. Something about this... tournament... seems off. Geo, you too. I've already warned the other two. If something goes wrong, come find me." Samus walked off as quickly as she arrived.

"Not much for conversation, eh?" Lan observed.

"No." Maylu turned to Geo. "By the way, why weren't you in the waiting room with me and the others?" Geo grinned sheepishly.

"I was late. I arrived a day too early, so they got me a hotel room by the stadium, but I overslept." Maylu and Lan both chuckled.

"You sound like Lan." Maylu said. Geo rubbed the back of his head. Suddenly, Lan sat up.

"Do you hear that?" Maylu and Geo looked around.

"No." Geo replied. Maylu shok her head too.

"It sounds like something tunneling through the ground..." Lan looked around for a few seconds before an explosion was heard. Right after, a mechanical 'whirr' sounded and the walls turned negative colors. A shower of pixels appeared right next to Maylu, forming a Mettaur.

"Met!" It ran off to the front of the parlor, leaving the three teens in shock. Lan was the first to recover.

"Is this another Dimensional Core? I sure hope not..." Samus ran up again.

"As I feared. In my time, I have been doing research on this planet, trying to discover what made it so barren. I unearthed a cylinder called a Dimensional Area that created a dome that allowed certain data to materialize in our world. With all the time-traveling this tournament has been doing, I was wondering if they hadn't brought it to this time too." Samus reached into a pocket and produced a small case. She opened it, revealing two BattleChips. They had a circuit pattern stemming from a green orb in the center. "These should help. Take them." Geo and Maylu both took the odd BattleChips.

"What do they do?" Samus shrugged.

"I didn't even know what they were for until now. Hurry. I will go on ahead. If these are used for combat, I will see you soon." Samus ran off towards the entrance. Maylu and Geo looked at each other.

"Hurry up! I wanna see what they do!" Lan exclaimed. Maylu and Geo positioned the BattleChips at their BattleChip slot. Maylu inserted the chip first, triggering a glow around her. Roll's gloves formed around Maylu's fists, followed by her boots. Maylu streched her arms out and Roll's shoulderpads appeared on her shoulders. Roll's NaviMark formed in front of Maylu, then attached itself to her chest, causing Roll's bodysuit to cover Maylu. Roll's helmet then formed, and Roll's antennae sprung out of the back, followed by Roll's hair emerging from the helmet. When Geo inserted the chip, a glove formed around his left hand, then his boots appeared. Omega-Xis's head appeared in front of him, and he thrust his hand in to the back of it, latching it on. He then streched his arms out, and his shoulderpads formed. A golden shockwave symbol on a pendant floated out of Geo's shirt and landed on his chest, forming a bodysuit with the symbol in the middle. Lastly, a helmet covering the front half of his head and a visor formed, completing the transformation. Maylu and Geo looked themselves over.

"That... is... so... COOL!" Lan shouted. "I wish I could do that!"

"This feels just like a Wave Change... I can deal with this. Maylu, you ready?" Maylu nodded.

"Lan, please just hide somewhere. I don't want you to get hurt, and besides..." Maylu flashed a sly grin. "It's my turn to play the hero." Lan's face fell, but he agreed. He hurried to a table that gave him a good view of outside and hid under it while Maylu and Geo ran outside.

"This is... unexpected. Where did they get Cross Fusion chips?"

* * *

Disclaimer: Link and Samus both property of Nintendo. Yumil, Miele, Neaki and Fana property of Marvelous Entertainment Inc. Django property of Konami. Sonic property of Sega.


	19. Light and Darkness

**PEJP Bengtzone: **Ah, can't please 'em all, I guess. Oh well.

**KK the Prophet: **Yeah, this did turn into a Smash Bros.style thing. No, no Snake (but that would have been cool). Man, I should have thought of Megaman and Django meeting. It would be cool to see Cloud in Smash Bros. (Brawl Taunts come to mind here... "Wouldn't it be great if Cloud Strife from FF9 appeared in the next Super Smash Bros. game?" SMACK! "I'm the only pretty boy in this game.")

**Drengnikrafe: **Drengnikrafe? Drengnikrafe? Come in, Drengnikrafe!

Disclaimer: Samus and Link are property of Nintendo. Django is property of Konami.

This chapter is a bit shorter because I just got Metroid Prime: Trilogy and have been playing it to death.

**

* * *

**

CHAPTER 19 : Light and Darkness

The sight that greeted Geo and Maylu when they got outside wasn't pretty. Multiple viruses were laying waste to everything inside the dome. There were Mettaurs, Spikies, Cannodumbs, PopUps, Elecbunnies, and Condors everywhere.

"Geo, how do we use chips?" Maylu asked. Geo shrugged and Maylu sighed. "Fine. Heart Slash!" Maylu kissed her two forefingers and slashed at the enemy, launching multiple little hearts that deleted a fair amount of viruses. Geo was going to work with his buster, deleting just as many. Both teens mowed through the viruses, deleting them all quickly. When the last one was gone, Geo looked around.

"Y'know, Samus isn't here. She said she'd go on ahead." As he spoke the words, something crashed down in front of them. As the smoke cleared, it jumped up, revealing Samus in the Varia Suit. Samus jumped up and proceeded to Space Jump back to the top of a huge skyscraper. "Well, that's where we're going." Geo looked around for a second.

"How are we getting up?" Geo continued looking before he found something.

"This will work..." Geo ran over to a mostly deleted Condor virus. It was flopping on the ground like a fish. Geo knelt down. "I won't hurt you... I need your help. Here, I'll heal you if you carry me and my friend to that building." The Condor stopped flopping and stared at Geo with its one remaining eye. "Flop to say yes." The Condor continued to stare.

"We can speak." Geo and Maylu jumped. "Yes, I know you are surprised. Most viruses can speak, but are ordered not to. Almost all of them have a program installed that stops them from speaking. The reason the program is there is so that viruses can understand human speech, but the one that sent us neglected to install it to us Condors." The Condor paused. "Why should I help you? You deleted all of the others, how do I know you won't delete me after I carry you?" Geo thought for a second.

"What's your name?"

"...Viruses do not have names. We have numbers, at best. My number is C313C-4." Geo thought for a second more.

"Then your name shall be Celeca." The Condor processed this for a minute.

"Cel...e...ca... This is a feeling I have never had. A feeling of... pride. I have decided. For showing me the value of a name, I will carry you. I have nothing to lose."

"Maylu, use your healing powers." Maylu knelt down and placed both hands on Celeca. A faint glow enveloped the virus as its body began to reform. In a few seconds, the recovery was complete. Maylu stepped back as Celeca rose.

"Geo, you first. I need a second to catch my breath." Geo stepped onto Celeca. Celeca rose and flew towards the skyscraper.

"Out of curiosity... do viruses have genders?"

"...Yes... but at the same time, no. Viruses are both male and female, if you wanted to think about it that way. Some viruses lean towards one side or the other, and some stay neutral. I have leaned more towards the female side, however." Celeca passed over the skyscraper and Geo jumped, firing his buster randomly. Celeca returned for Maylu, and soon returned to the ground. "Maylu, I may see you again in the Net. I have decided to stop battling Navis. I will inform my race not to harm the pink Navi or her friends, but they will still defend themselves. Tell all your friends this: If a Condor attacks, just say you are a friend of Celeca." Maylu jumped on and Celeca ferried her to the skyscraper.

"May our paths cross again, Celeca." Maylu jumped and landed near the edge of the skyscraper as Celeca flew off. Geo and Samus were fighting a pitch-black Navi with a solid build. His helmet covered his entire head, and was absolutly smooth, with no markings. His bodysuit extended to his gloves and feet, making it look like a second skin. It reflected nearly no light. His NaviMark was absolutely black, similar to Bass's, but much darker.

"Chaos Slash!" The black Navi waved his hand and sent Samus and Geo flying back. Part of the Navi's helmet vanished, allowing the three to see his face. "You are not the only ones with Cross Fusion. I am chaos in the flesh. I am Rai, and this is my Navi, Darkman." Geo stood.

"I don't care who you are! We'll still take you down!" Rai laughed.

"You don't get it. I was sent by the Lord of Chaos, his right-hand man. I am Rai, meaning light. My Navi is Darkman. And light... and darkness... bring chaos!!" Rai's helmet returned to normal. "I am the Harbringer of Doom!" Rai's voice had warped, and he spoke with a metallic grating sound. "Chaos Cannon!" Rai's hand changed into a streamlined, black cannon with faintly glowing orange veins. An orange glow built up in the mouth, and he fired. Maylu, Geo, and Samus were all able to dodge. Rai continued to fire rapid shots, hitting every once in a while. "Chaos Blade!" Rai's blaster reformed into his hand, and a glowing orange energy blade shot out from the outside of his right arm. The blade extended about one and a half feet from his fist, and ended in a red point. Rai proceeded to slash rapidly at whoever was closest.

"His attacks are too fast!" Geo yelled.

"And you needed to state the obvious... why?" Samus replied. "Don't worry. I've got it under control." Samus dodged an attack with a reverse handspring, sending her off the edge off the building.

"Samus!" Maylu yelled. Rai took the opportunity to stab her through her side. When he withdrew his fist, the blade had gone, and Maylu was on her knees, clutching her side.

----------

From his hiding place in the parlor, Lan could have sworn he heard a faint scream. He looked around before realizing it was all in his head. He couldn't shake the uneasy feeling someone had been hurt, though...

----------

"Never let down your guard." Rai readied another Chaos Blade and prepared to strike the final blow when his back exploded and he was thrown forward multiple meters. Maylu glanced in the direction Rai was and saw Samus standing on a streamlined orange gunship. The ship flew over Rai and Samus jumped off.

"Never let down your guard." Most of Rai's back was de-rezzing, and he was struggling to get up. Suddenly he let out a laugh.

"Chaos Remedy!" Rai grabbed Samus's leg, and orange tendrils of electricity coursed over Samus's body. Samus yelped, and the wound on Rai's back began to heal. Geo ran over to Maylu and knelt down.

"What hurts?" Maylu grunted and removed her hand, showing that most of her side was de-rezzing, and the wound was spreading. Geo looked for a second before standing. "Hang on. It'll be gone in three minutes, tops. Let's go, Omega-Xis!"

"Finally!" Geo dashed over to Rai and gave him a swift kick, disrupting his attack. Samus jumped back.

"Hold him for a minute." Samus began messing with her gun as Rai got up, his wound mostly healed.

"Just you and me now." Geo said.

"What can you do to stop chaos? Nothing! Chaos Blast!" Rai's body was covered with small orange veins before he launched a massive blast. Now Geo had a choice. He could save Maylu from further damage, or he could protect Samus. Geo closed his eyes for a split-second, then chose.

"Samus! Heads up!" Samus looked up as Geo dashed to Maylu and protected her with his shield. Samus was able to dodge in time, but then she returned to messing with her gun.

"Chaos Charge!" Rai's body pulsed with orange veins as he pulled out a huge two-handed cannon and began to charge it. Geo fired at him, but it bounced off a force field caused by the massive amount of energy.

Got one chance... Gotta make this work. Geo thought. He began to scan the cannon and force field. That's it! Geo readied himself and waited. There! Geo dashed towards Rai just as he finished charging.

"Chaos Finish!!" Rai aimed at Geo just as Geo arrived. Geo jumped... and landed on the cannon, causing it to fire into the skyscraper. The beam went clean through the side of the building, leaving a hole about a meter in diameter.

"Ready! Geo, move!" Geo jumped off the cannon as Samus pointed the Arm Cannon at Rai. Samus had changed into a black suit, the Phazon Suit. She fired a steady stream of blue Phazon, hitting Rai dead-on. He screamed and writhed, the beam driving him to his knees. After Rai was lying on the ground, Samus released the beam. Rai was de-rezzing in multiple places, and some places had Phazon covering them.

"I... will... return!" Rai crossed out, slowly stood, and ran towards the edge of the skyscraper, throwing himself into a waiting helicopter. Samus and Geo ran over to Maylu as the Dimensional Area collapsed. Geo and Maylu both crossed out, and the Synchro Chips popped out of their PETs. Geo caught his PET, but Maylu's fell to the ground. Her side was bleeding, however, the wound had stopped spreading. Samus gingerly picked Maylu up.

"Find a way down. Maylu needs this wound treated. It isn't deep, but it's widespread. I'll meet you at the pizza place."

"Samus, where are you taking her? They might be looking for new check-ins at all the local ones."

"Somewhere safe." Samus jumped off, leaving Geo behind. He walked over to the giant hole Rai's cannon had made and looked down.

"... Stairs!" Geo climbed down the hole and made his way down. When Geo was in view of the pizza parlor, Lan ran out to meet him.

"Where's Maylu?" Lan's face fell. "She's hurt, isn't she?" Geo slowly nodded.

"Samus took her 'someplace safe' and is going to fix the wound. It's large, but shallow. She'll probably have a scar for the rest of her life."

Lan was staring at the ground. Suddenly his head snapped up, fire burning in his eyes. "... Give me that Synchro Chip." Geo took a step back.

"Why?" Lan advanced.

"I'm going to kill him."

"Slow down! She's not going to die. Besides, you don't even know what he looks like."

"Operator's name is Rai, Navi's name is Darkman. Darkman wears a black streamlined armorsuit and a helmet that covers his head completely. Rai has bleached blond hair, a green T-shirt, and blue jeans. He's wearing a pendant under his shirt and he has green eyes." Geo took another step back. Lan had described both perfectly.

"... How do you know that?" The fire in Lan's eyes dimmed slightly.

"I don't know. It's as if I'm looking at him in a picture or on TV. The image in my mind is clear, but I don't know where it came from. I-- Ahh!" Lan dropped to his knees, clutching his side. Geo ran over and lifted Lan's shirt.

"Move your hands." Lan slowly moved them, revealing nothing. The skin looked healthy, not even a bruise. "Is it a sideache?" Lan shook his head.

"No, it feels like my skin was scraped off. Now it's stinging... Ow!" Lan grabbed his side before realizing there was no blood. "I could swear it was bleeding... It's totally gone now." When Lan stood up, the fire in his eyes had vanished. "I don't know what got into me. I'm sorry."

"I hope it's not some weird psychological problem. If things like this keep happening, you should see a doctor." Lan nodded.

"So... Where are we going?"

"Samus is meeting us here. We have..." Geo checked his PET. "An hour before the next round."

"That's right! I hope Maylu can fight..." Lan and Geo sat outside for about a half-hour before Samus approached. Maylu was hobbling beside her, wincing every so often. Lan ran over to her and gingerly hugged her.

"What happened?" Maylu showed her wound to Lan. It had been fixed up considerably, but the bandages were still there.

"Rai and Darkman happened. He stabbed me with a laser sword."

"The sword had some sort of virus that it injected, spreading the wound. It stopped when Roll left her body."

"There's a half-hour before the next round starts. Maylu, are you going to be able to NetBattle?" Lan asked.

"Yeah... Samus gave me some painkillers in case the wound acts up."

"Then let's go! I'm sure you'll do fine." To Maylu's surprise, Lan leaned over and planted a kiss on her cheek. Maylu's face turned red, and she smiled shyly. All four began walking to the stadium, Maylu leaning on Lan for support. When they arrived, Samus turned to Maylu and Geo.

"I will need those chips I gave you back. I fear that things could go very wrong if I leave them here." Maylu and Geo reluctantly gave up the chips. Afterward, Lan headed to the stands and the other three returned to the waiting room. Soon, the TV in the waiting room turned on.

"The second round is about to begin! Since there are only five people in this round, one person will automatically advance to the semi-finals! Let's see who it is!" On the TV screen, one box shifted through five faces multiple times before stopping on Maylu. "Looks like Maylu and her Navi, Roll, will be advancing! Congratulations! Now to decide the first match..." Two more boxes appeared and shuffled through faces before stopping on Django and Link. The battle that ensued was short, with Link taking the victory. "Of course, the next battle for this round will be between Samus and Geo!" Geo turned to Samus before he walked out.

"Good luck. May the best battler win." Samus nodded and walked to her console as Geo did the same.

"Jack-in! Omega-Xis! Power up!" Samus just touched her finger to the jack-in port and she was gone in a ahower of pixels.

"Ready... Fight!"


	20. Heated Battles

**KK the Prophet: **No, I totally forgot Darkman was in BN3. This Darkman kinda looks like something from a Metroid game... 'Specially with the cannon. In my mind, that one-handed cannon looks really cool. Link will fight... Someone. I feel happy that they'll use the BN battle system, that was my favorite.

**Drengnikrafe: **On Chapter 18's review: Thanks! I've been trying to give accurate descriptions of things so that someone doesn't come up with a totally different image from the one I had. On Chapter 19's review: I was the one who said my chapter might be short. See, in the text editor I use, most chapters are 18 pages, whereas the last one was 14 and this one is 15. They've still got about the same amount of words, though. In any tournament with an uneven amount of players, one randomly gets the 'bye.' This player gets an automatic win. That's what I did for this tournament. I do try to make things more realistic, cause stories where the main character always wins easily are no fun. That's probably why I like Evangelion so much.

**

* * *

**

CHAPTER 20 : Heated Battles

"Ready... Fight!" A bell sounded, but neither battler moved. As they stood there sizing each other up, Omega-Xis was sending Samus's battle data to Geo. Samus made the first move, changing into the Varia Suit. Omega-Xis saw his chance and charged, firing his buster. Samus dodged and returned fire with the Power Beam. The volleys continued for a time with neither scoring a hit.

"Shotgun, BattleChip in!" Omega-Xis's buster began glowing, and he fired a wide burst of energy. Samus jumped high into the air, dodging the attack, and turned into a spinning ball of energy, ramming into Omega-Xis. Some of the panels on Samus's Arm Cannon shifted and she fired a purple bolt of electricity at Omega-Xis. Omega-Xis was caught by surprise and shocked by the bolt. More panels shifted and she fired a superheated beam of energy at Omega-Xis. Omega-Xis dodged and returned fire only to find it reflected off a Barrier. Samus began to charge her weapon, waiting. "NorthWind, BattleChip in! HiCannon, BattleChip in!" A strong wind blew away Samus's barrier, and she fired.

"Flamethrower!" The Arm Cannon began to spit superheated plasma at Omega-Xis. The attack hit and Samus kept it up, eating away at Omega-Xis's health. Right when Geo thought this would be the end, the attack stopped and Omega-Xis fell to the floor. More panels on the Arm Cannon shifted to reveal a weapon with white and black energy trails. Samus began to charge it.

"Recovery300!" Geo slotted in the chip, hoping it wasn't too late. Omega-Xis began to glow.

"Armageddon!" Starting at the tip of Samus's gun, a black orb began to get bigger and bigger, turning everything inside it negative colored. The orb enveloped Omega-Xis and continued until the entire battlefield was inside it.

"AreaSteal!" Geo waited, but nothing happened. A white light appeared in the mouth of Samus's cannon as Omega-Xis realized he couldn't move. This is it... Geo thought. This'll make or break me. "EM Wave Change! Geo Stellar, On The Air!" Geo jammed the blank BattleChip into his PET and waited. He didn't have to wait long. He soon felt the power rushing into him as Omega-Xis stood. "Sword, BattleChip in!" Omega-Xis rushed towards Samus, stabbing the blade as Samus fired her beam. The searing energy cut through Omega-Xis as his blade pierced her armor. Both battlers cried out, but both kept standing. Samus slowly put her cannon to Omega-Xis's head.

"This... is... the... end!"

"ElecSword... BattleChip in!" Omega-Xis's blade suddenly became electrified, causing Samus to cry out and move her cannon. Through the electricity, she replaced her cannon on Omega-Xis's head. She fired and Omega-Xis disappeared, revealing a dummy on the ground. Suddenly, three shuriken rained down on Samus, rending through her armor. Samus began to glow, and her suit became a silvery-white color, mending itself in the process. Samus checked her energy levels and the energy of her opponent.

Just enough... Samus's beam had already shifted back to the Power Beam, and she began to charge. Geo had sent an M-Cannon to Omega-Xis, and he was also charging.

"Super Missile!"

"M-Cannon!" Both battlers fired at the same time, and Samus's missile exploded when it connected with Geo's blast, sending both onto their backs.

What can I do to finish this? Samus racked her brain for a solution before finding it. She used Suit Change to change to the PED Suit, and injected her last Energy Tank. She charged up for the final blow as Geo charged her with a LongBlade. "Hyper Beam!" Samus released a gatling-style stream of a blue, radioactive substance, which connected with Omega-Xis at point-blank range, just as he stabbed Samus. Some of the beam bounced off Omega-Xis and got onto Samus, weakening her invulnerable Phazon shield, and the blade drove through her... again. Both battlers stood motionless, waiting for the other to fall, holding on as long as they could. Samus had the strength to reach up and tap a hidden button on her upper chest. Her helmet popped off, revealing Samus's face contorted with pain. "You... win." As Samus fell to the ground, Omega-Xis picked up her helmet.

"Do you mind if I put this on?" Samus shook her head. When Omega-Xis put the helmet on, all he saw was the red message, 'Life Support: CRITICAL', with the 'CRITICAL' flashing. Before his eyes, this message changed to 'Life Support: OFFLINE', which was accompanied by a steady tone. Samus reverted to the Zero Suit as the helmet's visor shut down, and her wounds were quickly treated by medical Navis. Omega-Xis returned the helmet and Samus stood.

"I do not often lose. You are truly a worthy enemy, Geo and Omega-Xis. May out paths cross again." Samus winked. "I never lose to the same person twice. By the way... Give this to Lan." Samus tossed a data packet to Omega-Xis as she disappeared in a flash and a shower of pixels, and Omega-Xis jacked out.

"The winners are Geo and Omega-Xis! This ends the second round. Next are the semi-finals, to start in a half-hour!" Maylu hurried out to meet Lan, with Geo following a few minutes later. The three chatted idly for a few minutes before going over to a nearby park.

"Why was there such a long break in between the first and second rounds, but a short one now?" Lan asked.

"They had to fix the teleprompter." Geo said dryly. Lan and Maylu looked at each other before bursting out laughing. "Seriously, didn't you notice the announcer saying weird things?" Lan nodded, still laughing.

"Yeah, like when he said his name is Yamoshito when his name is Yamotaro?" Geo nodded. Lan and Maylu eventually stopped laughing.

"I was kind of hoping the intermission would be a bit longer..." Maylu said.

"Why?" Lan asked. Maylu moved a bit closer to him.

"Because we never get to spend any time with each other." Lan blushed.

"You know, we never got to eat at that pizza place. I'm gonna go get my pizza." Geo said.

"Hey, get me that curry flavored stuff, and some pepperoni for Maylu too. I'll send you some money." Geo walked off as Lan sent him the money. "He did that on purpose, you know." Lan said as he turned to Maylu.

"Did what?"

"Left. Some people are like that. Even though I don't really know him, I'm guessing that he won't be back until around five minutes before the next match."

"Why?"

"To give us time to spend with each other." Lan scooted next to Maylu and she leaned on his shoulder. They spent the rest of the time cuddling, and, true to Lan's guess, Geo returned about five minutes before the match was to begin. Geo had gotten Lan his curry pizza. "Thanks for doing that. You really didn't have to." A confused look appeared on Geo's face.

"Getting you the pizza? But you asked for that."

"No, for leaving so that me and Maylu could have some time together."

"I was serious, though. I wanted some pizza. I haven't eaten since breakfast, and it's already three-thirty."

"Oh. Never mind what I said then." Geo chuckled.

"Didn't you tell me that's why you left?" Omega-Xis piped up from the PET.

"Yeah."

"Why'd you lie to him?" Geo shrugged.

"I guess it was because I didn't want him to think of me as a push-over or something."

"But you are a push-over! Or you used to be, at least."

"Omega-Xis... Oh!" Geo ran to catch up with Lan. "Lan, Samus wanted me to give you something. I'll send it in an email. Geo messed with his PET for a bit before Lan's device beeped. Lan opened the email and looked at the data. The icon was spinning slowly. It was a circle with a jagged 'S' going off the top and bottom edges of the circle.

"This looks like... No, it couldn't be." Lan turned to Geo. "Thanks. I'll have Megaman look at it when I get home." Lan turned to the stadium. "It's time for you to go." Lan said goodbye, and Maylu and Geo took off. Lan hurried to the stands.

"Yet again, we have an odd number of participants! Because of this, one person will advance again. Let's find out who it is!" Onscreen, three faces shuffled through a box before it stopped on Geo. "Geo Stellar and Omega-Xis, you are in the finals! The semi-finals will be between Maylu Sakurai and her Navi, Roll, and Link!" Maylu walked out to the NetBattle machine.

"Jack-in! Roll!" When Roll arrived in the machine, Link was already there.

"Ready... Fight!" Link charged right away, but Roll used her speed to dodge.

"Heart Slash!" Roll sent a wide stream of tiny hearts at Link, but only some hit. Link charged again and jumped into the air, coming down on Roll with monstrous force. The attack connected, doing major damage to Roll.

"Roll Arrow, BattleChip in!" Roll gained a crossbow on her arm and fired. The projectile hit, causing Link to flinch. Roll took her chance and dashed in, attacking with her antennae. After being battered for a bit, Link jumped back and raised his sword, changing his tunic to a red color. Link's sword began to glow, and he dashed up to Roll and spun around, doing fire damage each time he connected. "Fire Tower, BattleChip in!"

"Fire Tower!" Roll planted her hand against the ground and sent a tower of fire blazing at Link. Link ducked behind his shield and blocked it, giving his shield a faint red tint.

"Burner, BattleChip in!" Roll dashed to Link and rammed into his shield with a burning body. The shield got a bit redder as it absorbed the attack. Roll jumped back as Link swung his sword at her a few times. "HeatShot, BattleChip in!" As Maylu slotted-in the chip, she hid another behind it. Roll quickly fired the fire attack, and Link blocked, his shield now burning.

"Revisiting Heat!" Link pointed at Roll and loosed a massive stream of fire at her. Roll held out her hand to the blaze and it stopped when it reached her hand, forming a large ball. Link's face gained a confused expression.

"Don't always have to announce chips now, do I?" Maylu taunted.

"AntiFire!" Roll shouted as she streamed the fire towards Link. He held out his shield, but it broke through, sending Link back. Fortunately for him, his Goron Tunic protected from some of the fire damage. Link quickly stood up and raised his hand palm up. The battlefield heated up, and rock walls broke up from the ground. The middle of the battlefield broke away, revealing lava, and a rope bridge materialized over the gap. Roll yelped and fell to one knee.

"Link has used Scene Change to move to a burning volcano! The very air is superheated, causing most Navis constant damage, and falling to the lava below is an instant defeat!" Maylu quickly looked through her chips, searching for something that would negate or lessen the damage.

"Try this, Roll! BubbleWrap, BattleChip in! Download!" A large bubble appeared around Roll, and she breathed a sigh of relief.

"That's better." Roll stood and faced Link. Link was charging at Roll and gaining fast, already being mostly over the bridge.

"BubbleShot, BattleChip in!" Roll's hand formed a blue buster and she fired at Link. The narrow passage of the bridge made it impossible to dodge, and the blast hit dead on, doing double damage to Link's Fire element. "Aqua Tower, BattleChip in!"

"Aqua Tower!" Roll planted her hand against the ground and a pillar of water rose up. As it moved to Link, it began to steam and got smaller and smaller. By the time it reached Link, he took little damage. Link charged, his sword out, and pierced Roll's bubble. "Ahh!" Roll squinted one eye and beared the pain.

"IronBody, BattleChip in!" Roll's body turned to iron, and the damage lessened. The IronBody wouldn't hold forever, though, and it was melting fast. _What can I do? I have to beat him fast..._ Suddenly an idea came to Maylu's thoughts.

"Aqua Tower, BattleChip in! Triple download!" Roll's IronBody vanished and she called three Aqua Towers up, which promptly began to converge on Link. Link dodged until the Towers were tiny, then approached Roll again. "BigWave, BattleChip in! Triple download!" This time, three waves materialized behind Roll in succesion, and began to crash towards Link. These also steamed out, becoming useless.

"Maylu! What are you trying to do?" Roll yelled.

"Wait... I think it's working. Fan, BattleChip in! Double download!" Two Fans appeared behind Roll and began blowing, making it harder for Link to approach.

"Ahh... I see it. Try a couple IceCubes and a few Geysers."

"Thanks, Roll! IceCube, BattleChip in! Double download!" Two IceCubes appeared and promptly melted. "PanelOut3, BattleChip in! Geyser, BattleChip in! Quadruple download!" Maylu used one PanelOut3, destroying three panels in front of Roll, and Roll threw a blue ball into each of them. As soon as each ball disappeared, a geyser burst out of each, which promptly steamed away. Maylu checked the PET screen. _Just one more..._ "Fountain, BattleChip in! Download!" A massive stream of water came out of each of the three holes, and it too steamed away. Roll had used most of her energy, and both fans had been destroyed. Link walked up to Roll, who was back to being on one knee.

"What did that accomplish?" Link asked. "No matter. You've lost." Link raised his sword for the final blow as Roll felt something on her helmet.

"No, you lose." As she said the words, a massive downpour started, temporarily cooling the air and doing double damage to Link with every drop. The storm took Link by surprise, but he quickly recovered and changed to the Zora Tunic, shielding himself from the rain. Maylu had expected this, though.

"ElecBlade, BattleChip in! Download!" Roll dashed forward with the last of her energy and drove the sparkling blade through Link, forcing him to yield. The battlefield returned to normal and the storm stopped.

"That is something no one would expect, creating a rainstorm in a volcano." Link said. "I have something for Lan, for I have heard of his battle prowess." Link tossed a data packet to Roll, who caught it reflexively. Link shimmered and disappeared in a shower of pixels as Maylu jacked out.

"Maylu has won the semi-finals! The final match between Geo and Maylu will occur in an hour!" Maylu returned to the waiting room to find Geo laughing.

"What's so funny?" Maylu asked.

"How did you come up with a rainstorm in a volcano?" Geo asked, still laughing. Maylu shrugged.

"Lucky guess." This just caused Geo to laugh harder, falling off the couch he was sitting on. "Well, when you get over your laughter, come and find me and Lan. We'll probably be in the park." Maylu walked off, leaving Geo parylyzed with laughter. "He's gonna get the hiccups." Maylu said to Roll.

"That or his side's going to be killing him." Roll replied. Lan ran up to the pink-haired teen.

"Great match!" Lan exclaimed. "Funny, I had the same idea about the same time." Maylu shrugged.

"Great minds think alike?" Lan chuckled.

"I guess so. Hey, where's Geo?"

"He's in the waiting room laughing. For some reason, a rainstorm in a volcano is funny to him. I told him we'd be in the park." Maylu replied. Both teens walked over to the park and sat down at a picnic table. They talked for about ten minutes before Geo hobbled up, holding his side.

"Hic!" Geo hiccuped. Maylu and Roll both started laughing.

"We knew it!" Maylu and her Navi said together. Geo shot a dirty look at Maylu, but chuckled all the same.

"Weird thing is, now that I think about it, that wasn't really funny." Geo said. Lan and Maylu agreed.

"Oh! Lan, Link told me to give this to you." Maylu emailed Lan the data packet Link had given her. Lan opened it and looked at the data. It was a spinning version of Link's NaviMark.

"What? No, that can't be right... How?" Lan mumbled.

"There a problem?" Maylu asked.

"No, no problem." Lan replied. The three began talking, but Lan still couldn't shake the feeling something was wrong...

* * *


	21. Finals

**KK The Prophet: **Yeah, but not this chapter. Whenever Megaman comes back. That would be a good idea... I'm gonna go change that soon (but not now, I've only got a couple minutes anyway). And, hopefully it'll be worth seeing.

**Drengnikrafe: **...Hello? Come in!

**

* * *

**

**CHAPTER 21 : Finals**

"Analyzing data... Probability outcomes are being processed." In a dark room, a cloaked figure sat at a massive computer. "Chances are 63% Geo, 37% Maylu." The figure laughed.

"Then I will prepare--"

"Incoming transmission."

"Let it through." Static with a shadow of a head appeared onscreen.

"How is Project X going?"

"Very well, milord."

"Good. It must be finished by the time this tournament is over." The transmission ended and the cloaked figure returned to his math...

--------------

"Man, I wish Megaman was here." Lan said to no one in particular. "Then we could battle, Geo." Geo chuckled.

"I'd probably lose since I'm new to NetBattling." Geo replied. Lan shrugged.

"And I'd lose if we fought in your time. Wouldn't it be cool if I could operate Megaman on the EM roads?" Geo nodded.

"Lan?"

"Yeah, Maylu?"

"Who do you want to win?" Lan gulped. If he answered Maylu, Geo might be offended, and if he answered Geo, Maylu probably would be offended. Then he could answer a tie... But then she'd just ask again.

"Maylu, you do know that's just like asking me if the dress you're trying on makes you look fat." Maylu grinned.

"Yep!" Lan sighed and rolled his eyes.

"Uhh... I want... you to win." Maylu smiled. "Sorry, Geo. You know how girls are," Lan whispered to Geo. Geo nodded.

"Yeah, I understand." The three continued chatting idly until it was time for the match. One last time, Lan went to the stands, and Maylu and Geo went to the waiting room. Soon they were called out.

"The final match between Maylu Sakurai and Geo Stellar and Omega-Xis is about to begin!"

"Jack-in! Roll! Power up!"

"Jack-in! Omega-Xis! Power up!" Both Navis appeared in the machine and the bell rang. "M-Cannon, BattleChip in!" Omega-Xis gained a red cannon and fired right away. Roll was expecting the rapid attack, though, and dodged. Omega-Xis began to run towards Roll. "AreaSteal, BattleChip in! FireBlade, BattleChip in!" Omega-Xis appeared behind Roll and slashed.

"Barrier!" The sword bounced off a crystalline barrier and smacked Omega-Xis in the face. Roll giggled. "Roll Arrow!" Roll quickly shot her crossbow at Omega-Xis, destroying his sword. He countered by shooting her with his buster.

"Maylu, do you fight in FullSyncro?" Maylu nodded.

"Only way I can win! But don't let it stop you from hitting me as hard as you can. I know how to avoid getting hurt."

"Okay... QueenOphiuca, NaviChip in!" A ghost of a large female cobra dashed in front of Omega-Xis, running over Roll and turning all the panels she touched into swamp. Omega-Xis dashed in behind her and sliced with a LongSword and a WideSword. Roll yelped.

"Aqua Tower!" Roll planted her hand on Omega-Xis and the force of the water launched him to the wall. "Arrow!" A fish appeared next to Roll and fired three arrows at Omega-Xis, pinning him to the wall by his hands and the little wisp that served as his feet.

"Form Change: White Form!" Roll donned her mage robes and readied to strike. "Lance, BattleChip in! M-Cannon, BattleChip in! LongBlade, BattleChip in! Form Advance!" Roll's spellbook began to glow with a white light.

"Pious Crucifixion!" The Lance stabbed Omega-Xis's side and Roll fired the cannon at him before running in with the LongBlade.

"Blind!" Omega-Xis flashed a bright light, blinding Roll. "Barrier!" A barrier surrounded Omega-Xis, which Roll promptly ran into. Roll's blinding and the barrier allowed him enough time to free himself. "What WAS that?" Geo asked.

"That was a Form Change's custom PA, the Form Advance. Usually they're more powerful versions of the form, but I decided to make mine an attack instead." Roll had recovered, but she had taken damage because Omega-Xis was shooting her with his buster the whole time she was blinded.

"Recovery300!" Both NetOps inserted the chip at the same time, healing most of their Navis' wounds.

"Cannon, Hi-Cannon, M-Cannon, Overload, BattleChips in! Quadruple download! O-Cannon!" Omega-Xis's arms merged into a massive cannon with a stand. He fired a beam and held it while chasing Roll for a good ten seconds before it ran out.

"My turn. What was that?" Maylu asked.

"Back in my time, Overloads were just invented. If you insert an Overload right after a Legend Card, which are our Program Advances, it will Overload and get a lot more powerful. Wanna see more?" Maylu shook her head.

"No thanks." Geo shrugged.

"Sword, WideSword, LongSword, Overload, BattleChips in! Quadruple download!"

"Omega Sword!" Omega-Xis formed a LifeSword, but it was a purple-black color. He launched three shockwaves before dashing in. Maylu chuckled.

"AntiSword, BattleChip in!" She inserted the chip just as Omega-Xis struck Roll. Roll took no damage, but she countered with three shockwaves of her own, driving Omega-Xis back.

--------------

"Recalculating... complete. Current chances are Maylu 73%, Geo 27%."

--------------

"Ready, Omega-Xis?" Geo, to his surprise, was losing. Maylu and Roll weren't very strong, yet they kept driving them back, forcing them to waste chips. "Their tactic is to win by waiting, so we have to hold out for longer then them."

"Ready." Geo slotted the blank chip into his PET.

"EM Wave Change! Geo Stellar, On The Air!" Omega-Xis changed to resemble Geo, and he dodged the incoming Roll Arrow. "Buki3!" Omega-Xis dashed in to Roll and smashed her with a massive hammer, knocking her flying and forcing her out of White Form.

"Shadow3!" Roll turned into a shadow as Omega-Xis's cannon shot blasted through her.

"StepSword!" Geo dashed forward and slashed, but was blocked with a BusterGuard. Roll jumped back and attacked with her own StepSword, scoring a hit. "HeroSword!" Omega-Xis's other arm formed into a HeroSword and he attacked, slashing rapidly. "StepCross, BattleChip in! Program Advance!"

"EvilCut!" Omega-Xis dashed to Roll and slashed once horizontally and once straight before bringing both swords down in a cross pattern.

--------------

While the battle was going on in the main room, a cloaked figure still sat at his computer.

"What are the chances?"

"Maylu 50%, Geo 50%."

"That's not what I was asking." The doors to the room creaked open slowly.

"Do you want some coffee, sir?" The speaker had a very nasal voice.

"... Fine."

"You'll need a tray."

"Well, then, bring me coffee on a tray." The worker left and returned in a minute with a cup of coffee on a tray. The cloaked figure picked the coffee up. As he began to take a sip, he was interrupted.

"You'll need this tray."

"I don't want a tray!"

"But you have to take one."

"Do you know who I am? I am your boss!"

"Oh, are you Mr. Stevens, head of Catering?"

"No, I am not Mr. Stevens! I am Mr. Stevens' boss! I can kill Catering with a thought!"

"Oh, then you must be Darth Vader's brother!"

"No, I am not! I am your boss!"

"Then you'll need a tray."

"I don't want a tray!!"

"You'll need a tray, the coffee's hot."

"Oh. Well, that changes things. I'll take the tray." The cloaked figure grabbed the tray. "This tray's wet. Bring me a dry tray." The worker ran off and returned with a different tray.

"This is the dryest we have."

"This tray is still wet! What, did you dry these in a rainforest?" He sighed and took the tray. "Just... go." The worker left the cloaked figure in peace.

--------------

Things had taken a turn for the worse, and Maylu was now losing. Geo had been able to conserve his chips until Maylu was running out, and was now pummeling them for all he was worth.

"Cannon, BattleChip in!" As a last resort, Roll fired a cannon at Omega-Xis. The blast connected, doing minor damage to him.

"I've been counting, and you only have one chip left. Care to tell me what it is?" Maylu grinned.

"FolderBack, BattleChip in! Download!" As all of Maylu's chips regained use, Geo's smirk turned to a frown. "Aqua Tower! Fire Tower! BattleChips in! Double download!" Roll planted her hands against the ground and sent two elemental towers towards Omega-Xis. He was hit by both of them and fell to one knee. Maylu sent a LongSword and Roll walked over to Omega-Xis.

"Yield."

"I... will... always... keep fighting!!" With a renewed burst of strength, Omega-Xis pushed Roll away and rose to his feet.

"DarknessHole, BattleChip in! Download!" A black hole appeared beneath Roll's feet. Maylu had to act fast, or it was over.

"Shadow3!" Maylu inserted the chip right before Roll was sucked in, and she escaped. Geo groaned.

"It's over, then. I don't have any chips left."

"Don't give up, Geo! Where's your fight?" Omega-Xis tried to encourage Geo, but nothing helped. Roll, armed with a WideSword, approached Omega-Xis.

"Yield." Omega-Xis looked over.

"Gotcha." Geo quickly downloaded a Sword and Omega-Xis drove it through Roll. She gasped, but then stabbed Omega-Xis with her sword and twisted. Omega-Xis screamed and returned the twist, causing Roll to yelp.

"ElecSword!" Omega-Xis's other hand formed a sparkling blade and he ran that one through Roll too. Roll screamed before focusing on holding on.

--------------

"Maylu, 0%. Geo, 100%."

--------------

"Come on, Roll. You can handle it!" Maylu encouraged.

_Roll! Come on, show him who's boss!_ Roll looked up.

"Mega... man?"

_Roll!_ Megaman's voice echoed in her mind.

_Was it all... In my head?_ Roll's head fell back down as she tried to endure the pain.

_Roll! You can do it!_ Roll looked up again with a fire in her eyes.

_I don't care if it was in my head, I will win!_ Roll's body began to glow briefly before flashing. Omega-Xis was sent flying back as Roll glowed. "What is this... this power?" Maylu also had a faint glow.

"The True Limit!" Maylu exclaimed. On the PET screen, Roll's HP was constantly rising. "You don't stand a chance anymore, Geo!" Roll dashed behind Omega-Xis and ran him through again.

--------------

"Probabilities have been breached. System overload. I am never... wrong..."

--------------

"Again... Yield." Omega-Xis slumped down.

"... Fine. I know when I've been beat." Roll stopped glowing and Omega-Xis stood. "Good match." The two Navis shook hands as the Operators did the same.

"As Omega-Xis said, good match. I hope to return someday." Suddenly the double doors at the back of the stadium burst open to reveal a cloaked figure.

"So, the winner is Maylu Sakurai and Roll." Geo and Omega-Xis were already beginning to vanish. "Your prize is... the honor of ruling the world with me!" Geo's eyes widened as he returned to his own time.


	22. The Scar That Will Never Heal

**KK the Prophet: **Yeah, that scene was actually a Lego animation that's on Youtube... I think you can find it if you search 'funny star wars' or something like that. Indeed, poor Lan. Will Geo return? I really don't know. Sadly, Drengnikrafe sent me a PM saying he had to cut out reading/writing fanfics cause of school, so you're the only reviewer now...

Disclaimer: !!Contains spoilers!! It's at the bottom.

**

* * *

**

**CHAPTER 21 : The Scar That Will Never Heal**

"What do you mean?!" Maylu exclaimed.

"I meant what I said. You and your Navi are the strongest across the times. I shall use your power, and you shall become my queen."

"... And if I refuse?"

"Then everyone in this stadium will die, and you will end up my queen anyway." Maylu looked at her feet and paused.

"Fight him, Maylu!" A single voice rang out from the stands. It was Lan. Two people around him shushed him, not wishing to die. Many spectators had already began to slowly make their way to the exit. The unknown figure turned to them and laughed.

"Do not try to escape, pitiful humans!" With a wave of his hand, metal plates slid over the doors, blocking all exits. Maylu took her chance. With one swift motion, she kicked him as hand as she could in the groin. A loud clang was heard, and the cloaked unknown flinched. He turned back to Maylu.

"I will not join you." A fire was buring in Maylu's eyes.

"Then you will suffer," He threw back the cloak, revealing a black Navi with black armored shoulder pads that covered the top of the garment. His bodysuit was covered with black flexible armor, and long white hair flowed out from the back of his helmet, which had a strong resemblance to that of Bass. The only difference was that his crests were crimson instead of gold and his cross was silver. "For I am The Black God of Chaos, Fortissimo!" The crowd gasped.

"How?"

"I am the Black God of Chaos. Reality bends to my will!" By this time, everyone was running around screaming their heads off. Somehow, Lan had made his way down to Maylu. "Cadavero Vero Innumera!" Spikes extended from half-rings on his body and shot thousands of chaos bolts at the panicking crowd. Anyone who was not behind something else was killed immediately. Lan was standing directly behind Maylu, so he was still safe. As Fortissimo's spines retracted, Lan emerged from behind the pink-haired teen.

"You've got the wrong person. Maylu may be the strongest in this tournament, but there are Navis who far surpass their power." Fortissimo scoffed at him.

"Who are you, to question me?"

"I am Lan Hikari, NetOp of Megaman. I will stand by Maylu's side forever, and nothing you can do will change that." Fortissimo laughed again.

"So, are you stronger then Maylu?"

"Probably... but my Navi isn't actually here right now..." Lan trailed off when he realized he was in major trouble.

"Then why are you challenging me? I have had enough of you humans and your corrupted ways. I will rid this earth of them, and rule the universe from my throne here!" Fortissimo turned to Maylu. "And you will join me." Maylu stood firm and shook her head.

"Never."

"Then you shall lose the ones you love... slowly... and painfully, they will be torn from you." Fortissimo lunged forward and grabbed Lan by the shirt. "Starting with this one." Fortissimo unsheathed his sword from its scabbard. As the sword emerged, it gave off a bright red glow that subsided when it was revealed. The sword was approximately six feet long, and seemed to glow with a dark aura.

"Maylu... these might help you." Lan quickly tossed a bundle to Maylu while Fortissimo was distracted with killing some of the remaining spectators. Maylu slipped it in her pocket before Fortissimo noticed, but she didn't get a chance to look at it. Fortissimo turned to Lan and held the sword against his side. Slowly, he thrust the sword into Lan's side, causing him to cry out in pain. The sword only went in a few inches before he pulled it out. Suddenly Maylu cried out and fell to her knees, holding her side. Fortissimo looked over at the girl and frowned. He looked back at Lan.

"You are lucky. You won't be killed yet. You'll be killed when she can stand and watch." Fortissimo grabbed Maylu and exited through the double doors. He soon returned and proceeded to kill the remaining spectators.

Maylu and Lan had been thrown in a semi-dark room with one bed. Maylu was on the bed, but Lan had been thrown in the corner. Lan's side was still bleeding, and Maylu was in pain too. Through his pain, he stood and hobbled over to Maylu, sitting next to her.

"What's wrong?"

"My side... ow! It's acting up again..." Lan lifted her shirt just a little bit to examine it. It appeared to be perfectly fine, no blood or agitation of any kind. Lan felt his own side and winced. The wound Fortissimo had given him was about in the same place.

"If there was only some way to fight him..." Lan mumbled. His PET rang. He grabbed it quickly. "This is not a good time..."

"Lan! Work went phenomenally and Megaman's already done! He's coming to the PET now, he said he'll be there in about three minutes." The voice on the other end was none other than Dr. Hikari himself.

"Dad! Perfect timing... almost. Anyway, he might not be able to reach the PET. I'll let him in as soon as possible. Gotta go, talk to you later!" Lan hung up and returned his PET to his belt. He then began searching for a jack-in port. Maylu helped too, looking anywhere and everywhere they could think of.

"Hey guys, what's... Lan, you've got some explaining to do." Lan pulled out his PET.

"First things first, how'd you get here?" Megaman grinned.

"The jack-in port under the bed." Lan sweatdropped. "Now, what are the spinning thingies?"

"I'm not actually sure... See, two different Navis gave those to us during the tournament, which I will tell you about later. Anyway, I'm thinking they might be DoubleSouls, but that doesn't make sense..." Megaman tapped one of them thoughtfully.

"Hrmm..." Megaman suddenly looked around. "Hey, where are you guys?" Lan rubbed the back of his head and grinned sheepishly.

"That's a funny story... See, a Navi who can appear in the real world killed all the spectators and locked us in here. He wants Maylu to be his queen... and he wants to make me suffer in front of her so she'll agree." Megaman was silent for a few seconds while he pondered this new information.

"That must have been that presence I felt on my way in... That's it. Jack-in, Lan."

"I'm coming too!" Roll piped up. Megaman looked at Lan, and Lan looked at Maylu.

"You saw his power." Maylu nodded.

"But you're hurt."

"Wait, you're hurt?" Lan's attention returned to the PET.

"That's usually what happens when you get stabbed in the side... Anyway, I don't think you two should come." Maylu nodded slowly.

"If you need help, I'll be right here."

"I know. Jack-in! Megaman! Power up!" After saying the famous words, Lan had to crawl under the bed to jack-in. "Rack-fin! Egavan! Power dup!" Maylu stifled a giggle. Lan crawled back out, his hair covered with dust.

"He's still here, Lan. The power... it's incredible!" Lan nodded.

"Let's take down a god." Of course, Megaman didn't get it, so Lan had to explain while he was moving. It pretty much ruined the 'cool' effect Lan had been trying to make.

"Who dares tread in my domain?" A booming voice echoed from all directions. Megaman stood his ground.

"I am Megaman, the NetNavi of Lan Hikari. I come to challenge you." There was silence... then the voice began to laugh.

"You... challenge me?" In a flash of black light, Fortissimo appeared. "I am Fortissimo, the Black God of Chaos. You dare to challenge me?" Megaman nodded. "Then let this be your final resting place!" Fortissimo dashed ahead and began to grapple with Megaman. Megaman managed to push his back, but Fortissimo scored a hit on Megaman, breaking the communications with Lan. "This is your weakness. While I can use all of my power always, you use none without you NetOp!" Megaman ran at Fortissimo and began to throw punches, but Fortissimo blocked all of them. He then flipped over Megaman to grab him by the back of his head. "Too easy."

"No... That's where you're wrong. My NetOp is what makes me strong. You have all of your power always, yes..." Megaman's body began to glitter. "...but because I am part human, when I have someone to protect, my power increases tenfold!" Megaman's body was beyond shiny now, and Fortissimo had to drop him to shield his eyes. Megaman jumped back a few feet away from the God of Chaos, and the light stopped. Megaman was wearing a green tunic over his bodysuit, complete with leather boots and a green cap, and was sporting a sword and shield. Link's NaviMark had appeared behind Megaman's, as well.

"Megaman? You okay-- wow..." Lan tapped some buttons on his PET. "Your attack readings are incredibly high!"

"Yeah. This is the power of the past -- LinkCross Megaman!" Megaman motioned for Fortissimo to bring it on.

"Ah... So your power is as great as they say. Finally, a satisfaction for my bloodlust! Absolutum Dominium!" Fortissimo swept his arms out and summoned several orbs of chaos energy. He then moved his hands to the side and swung them out, which sent the orbs out towards Megaman. Megaman sheathed his shield and did something no one expected: using his sword to bat the orbs back at Fortissimo! Fortissimo wasn't expecting this, of course, nor was he prepared for the speed at which they came, so he was hit by all of them. Fortissimo gasped before wiping the blood from his lip. "Not bad. But can you beat this? Cadavero Vera Innumera!" A shower of chaos bolts rained down on Megaman, pelting him every which way.

_If light and darkness bring chaos..._ "Blind!" Megaman flashed, dissipating the bolts and blinding Fortissimo. _Then extra light will imbalance it!_

"Good job. That's not the last I've got, though." Fortissimo pointed two fingers at Megaman. "Causa Mortis." A thin beam of light shot forward. Megaman pulled out his shield and hid behind it quickly, but the beam pierced it, driving through Megaman. He screamed and dropped the shield as the beam split into tendrils and wrapped themselves around Megaman. Fortissimo walked over. "Game over. Your data is mine." Suddenly a ball of lightning struck the ground where Fortissimo was a second ago. Megaman feebly glanced to the source and found... Bass. He jumped down from and ledge and landed in front of Megaman.

"This one will only be beaten by me."

"Bass. You could almost say I'm your twin, since we're both made mostly the same."

"No. My power is far superior to yours!"

"Roll Arrow!" Maylu had jacked-in Roll, and she shot at Fortissimo, missing him.

"Maylu, that bundle... try some of those." Lan was hurting too, since FullSyncro had him and Megaman linked. Maylu grabbed the packet and opened it to find DoubleSoul chips.

"Thanks." She grabbed one. "DoubleSoul FireSoul, BattleChip in!" Nothing happened save the words 'item can not use' flashing on her screen. "DoubleSoul ThunderSoul!" Still nothing. Roll was caught in a blast from one of Fortissimo's attacks and thrown back. Maylu continued to try, with no success.

"Maylu, use the common data..." Maylu hesitated, possibilities flying through her mind.

"DoubleSoul RollSoul, BattleChip in!" This time it was different. Roll's body changed to match that of the DoubleSoul. The only difference was that Roll's NaviMark showed instead of Megaman's.

"DoubleSoul MegaSoul!" Roll said, twirling around. She quickly ran to free Megaman.

"Don't touch the tendrils!" Right before Roll did, she pulled back. "They're controlled by Fortissimo, and draining energy constantly. There's gotta be a way..." Something glinted. "Ooh, a zenny!" Megaman snapped out of it. "Sorry." It glinted again. And once more. The tendrils snapped as Megaman and Roll began to merge... again. The Navi that emerged was none of the three. It looked like LinkCross, but with a pinker tunic. In addition to the sword, a crossbow appeared on Megaman's back, and Roll's antennae burst out of his bodysuit to cover his right forearm.

"This... is SoulCross!"

* * *

Disclaimer: Fortissimo is property of Anime Master ZERO, from the fic RockmanEXE : The Collage Years. I didn't get permission to host him here, because Anime Master ZERO doesn't frequent this site anymore. The description of Fortissimo isn't my words either, they're ZERO's.


	23. Chaos and Twilight

**Flamian: **Finally! That is one of the best anime ever! Thanks for the praise and for reading.

**Queen Sunstar: **Yeah, I know what ADD is. I liked that part a lot myself.

**KK the Prophet: **SamusCross? Who said that was a Cross? And who says it isn't? Have you ever read : The College Years? Well, Fortissimo kicks somebody's butt...

**Everyone: **Thank you for reading! It's great that I get two more reviewers just as one leaves and one can't keep up due to school. Thank you all reviewers!

**Disclaimer: **Fortissimo property of Anime Master ZERO. The Crest of Arcadia is a BattleChip from his story, but the Program Advance is mine.

**

* * *

**

**CHAPTER 23 : Chaos and Twilight**

"This... is SoulCross!" Megaman glanced at his back. "Hey, where'd my shield go?" As he said the words, Roll's antennae spread out from his forearm, creating an energy shield and blocking a stray beam from Fortissimo and Bass's battle. "Cool."

"Megaman?" Megaman heard Roll's voice inside his head.

_Yeah?_

"Did we fuse again?"

_Yeah._

"Hoboy." Megaman grabbed the crossbow off his back and began to fire shots at Fortissimo. He was having a hard time hitting until a visor slid over his eyes.

"Cool..." Megaman mumbled, finding it easier to track Fortissimo now. The God of Chaos was getting annoyed with Megaman and his sniping. He jumped back a few meters from Bass.

"Cadavera Vero Innumera!" Fortissimo raised his hand and shot thousands of tiny chaos bolts at both Navis. Megaman raised his shield and Bass used his speed to dodge most of them, but many still got through. Each one that hit Megaman caused a small spark that hurt him more.

"Hey, let's try this one out." Bass's voice took on a taunting tone. "Crest of Arcadia!" Bass held out one hand and a glowing white chip appeared. "Dark Chip!" Bass held out his other hand and a dark purple chip appeared. "SoulData!" Bass's NaviMark (or lack thereof) began to glow with a purple aura. The two chips merged into Bass's chest and formed a glowing ball of orange-purple energy. There was more purple then orange, however.

"No... that can't be!" Fortissimo exclaimed.

"Chaos Blast!" Bass held the ball of energy in both hands and fired it.

"Chaos Blast!" Fortissimo quickly launched his own move. "How can this be... a copy of my strongest move? And it seems to be stronger... Guh!"

"Seems that light and dark do make chaos... and chaos and chaos makes destruction!" Bass said darkly. He overwhelmed Fortissimo and hit him with the attack.

"How...?" Fortissimo asked, getting up from the ground.

"Why do you fight?" Bass returned the question with his own.

"What? Why do you ask me these questions?"

"It's very simple. Why do you fight?"

"Because I must."

"You must?" Bass chuckled. "Why must you?"

"I must because the bloodlust will never cease... that is my destiny." Bass laughed again.

"I overpowered you because you fight for the wrong reason. I fight to gain strength, for pride, not for bloodlust. Not anymore. Now, the way you killed those people... that made me sick. They never did anything to you. When I attempted to kill humans, I had a reason. A vain, pathetic, selfish reason, but a logical reason nonetheless." Bass and Fortissimo had continued fighting, but Fortissimo was becoming distracted by Bass's speech. "I rewrote my programming... why can't you?" Bass and Fortissimo were fighting in hand-to-hand now, with motions faster then Megaman could see. He decided to keep out of it for just a wee bit.

"Because... because..." Fortissimo's face hardened. "Because... this bloodlust is yours, Bass. Your bloodlust before you were weakened by this tiny blue brat." Bass quickly glanced at Megaman.

"Hey, Megaman, watch this!" Bass smirked. "Beastout Gregar!" Bass's body began to Beast Out, his hands forming claws, a tail sprouting, and fangs appearing from under his upper lip. "I found Dat." Bass struck Fortssimo with a blow to quick to see, knocking him back several feet. Bass laughed. "Bestial Gospel!" Bass materialized a Gospel Cannon in the shape of Gregar's head and fired a huge blast. "Sadly, I only got these TeraChips out of him. Maybe you'll find him yet." While Bass was distracted, Fortissimo took his chance.

"Cadavera Vero Innumera!" All of the bolts were aimed at Bass, sticking him full of the tiny bursts of energy. He fell to his knees, bleeding badly. Fortssimo walked over. "You are a truly strong enemy. You survived an attack I used to wipe out billions of Navis. Now die. Causa Mortis." Fortissimo pointed his finger at Bass. Suddenly his finger disappeared, a de-rezzing stump in its place.

"You can't do this, Fortissimo. I won't let you." Megaman was standing a few yards back, his crossbow in his hands. Fortissimo looked at his finger and non-chalantly grew a new one.

"Such spirit. I can fix that easily." Fortissimo threw aside his cloak and unsheathed a six-foot-long katana. The blade glowed a bright red as it slid out, but the light subsided once it was completely exposed. "This blade... will be your end!" Fortissimo charged, but Megaman dodged. Fortissimo swung his blade sideways and turned to face Megaman, but the attack was blocked by Megaman's convenient shield. Megaman pushed his crossbow into Fortissimo's side and fired, driving the bolt into and through Fortissimo. Fortissimo gasped before grabbing the crossbow and crushing it. Megaman followed up by unsheathing his sword. This sword was similar to Link's original sword, but some runic markings had appeared on the blade, and the design on the hilt was slightly more complex. The blades locked, both Navis trying to push the other down. Megaman broke back and slashed as quick as he could, but Fortissimo blocked. "Give up now. You can't beat me." Megaman smiled sadly.

"Maybe not. But as sure as hell, I'll keep trying until I die!" Megaman twisted the sword and thrust, ramming Fortissimo deep. Fortissimo gasped before laughing quietly.

"I can arrange that." Fortissimo used his free hand to bash Megaman's hand away from his sword. Fortissimo then pulled it out, dual-wielding both weapons.

"It'd be a good time for some chips, Lan..."

"I'm trying, but none go through!"

"Oh, did I not tell you? BattleChips don't come through here." Fortissimo taunted Megaman.

"Then... how did the Blind I used earlier go through?" Megaman asked. Fortissimo sweatdropped.

"None-none of your buisiness!" Fortissimo advanced, swinging the swords menacingly. Megaman kept dodging Fortissimo's attacks to the best of his ability, and he ended up near Bass.

"Megaman... here. Use these." Bass tossed two fragments of data to Megaman.

"Okay... Here goes! Crest of Arcadia! DarkChip! SoulData!" When Megaman activated the chips, a ball of energy began forming over his NaviMark. This energy was orange, though, and the resultant ball of energy was more orange then purple. This is different than what Bass did... "Here I go! Chaos Control!!" Megaman grabbed the ball in both hands and thrust it towards Fortissimo. The ball stopped halfway and began to hover there. Megaman sweatdropped. "Uhhh..." Then something happened. The ball began to glow and expand.

"What is this?" The ball kept expanding, turning the whole battlefield negative colors. "No... this power... this is Twilight!" Fortissimo found it difficult to move as he tried to attack Megaman. The Blue Bomber walked over to him.

"Hi." He plucked his sword out of Fortissimo's hand and planted his palm on Fortissimo's chest. "Balance Aura!" Megaman began to transform all the chaos energy inside Fortissimo into Twilight.

"Veni... mi... Filli." As soon as Fortissimo spoke, a second Fortissimo appeared next to the first one and attacked Megaman, driving him off. The sphere of Twilight dissipated, leaving all of them to move freely. Megaman slashed the chaos clone and it broke in two before returning to Fortissimo. The Dark Navi's blade became imprinted with dully glowing runes. "Acheronta Movebo!" The ground underneath Megaman began to explode, doing heavy damage to the surprised Navi. "Cado Angelus!" A large back boot suddenly shot up, nailing Megaman in the chin and sending him upwards. "Flagellum Dei!" A massive cross hit Megaman like a train car, sending him farther up. Fortissimo crouched, then jumped with incredible force, meeting Megaman as he began to fall. "Fall to your doom, Megaman." Fortissimo grabbed Megaman and begin to dive with Megaman head-first. Right before they hit the ground, Fortissimo threw him and righted himself, landing and creating a massive crater.

I'm sorry... Lan.

"That should do it." Fortissimo stood. "Now, just to take care of you, Bass. Bass had managed to stand, even with all his wounds.

"I made a vow. I won't lose to you, nor to anyone else. No one. Not anymore." Bass closed his eyes, and the region of helmet in between his fins began to sparkle. "I haven't used this for a long time... This..." Bass opened his eyes, a fire burning. "Is HubStyle Bass!"

"And this..." Fortissimo turned to see Megaman, although his helmet was gone. He had reverted to his normal form, his hair had changed from a navy-blue to a brown color, and all the lighter shades of blue on his body now flashed white. "... This is Hub Hikari, the Shining Guardian of Balance!" Right before the impact, both the LinkCross and the DoubleSoul had failed, leaving Roll to hit beside him. However, some unseen force slowed them down enough for the damage to not be fatal. No matter what anyone said, Megaman was positive it was the LinkCross.

"I'm tired of this. Let's go somewhere you can't follow... like the real world!" Fortissimo disappeared in a shower of pixels, materializing before Lan and Maylu. Megaman ran over to Bass.

"Are you okay?" Bass nodded. "Good. If we hurry, we can catch the distortion wave Fortissimo uses to go into the real world. The two rivals ran to the place that Fortissimo disappeared from. "Bass... lend me your power. One last time." Their NaviMarks began to glow, and as they entered the portal, two shadows became one. Megaman appeared behind Fortissimo. "Leave them alone." All three were astounded at Megaman's appearance. His bodysuit had changed to a black with flashing blue/white. Bass's scar had appeared over his NaviMark and his left eye. His hair had darkened to a near-black, and his skin had darkened a bit too. Bass's fins were attached to his shoulderpads, and the cross-shaped crest on Bass's helmet was embedded in Megaman's forehead.

"What are you?" Fortissimo asked, astounded. Megaman smirked.

"I... am the power of Balance, the light of Hub, and the darkness of Bass. I am what light and darkness truly bring... Twilight!" Lan and Maylu snuck out of the tiny room while Fortissimo and Megaman stood there.

"And I suppose you can fly." Megaman shrugged.

"Why not?" Megaman grabbed Fortissimo by the shoulders and burst out of the roof. Once they were about a thousand feet up, the Shining Guardian of Balance thrust Fortissimo away... and he began to float.

"... What...?" Fortissimo asked.

"This is the final battle. No obstacles, no NetOps, no BattleChips, no weapons. Who is stronger?" The two Navis clashed in mid-air, looking like specks in the distance.

"I still don't get it." Fortissimo and Megaman were moving at such speeds they were nearly invisible. "Why didn't you just finish me?" Megaman shrugged really quickly.

"I don't know. It could have been Bass's warrior pride telling me to give you a fair fight. It could have been my own kindness and pride telling me not to kill you like a coward." Megaman landed the first punch, causing Fortissimo to cough blood.

"I will... never understand... you humans." The battle continued, with each hit causing bloodshed.

"It could have been... It could have been... Revenge. Revenge for all those innocents. Whether it is Bass's or mine, I don't know. There are a million things it could have been..." Megaman landed a punch on Fortissimo's jaw. "...But the important thing is not what could have been, it's what is." Fortissimo managed to push away from Megaman.

"Stop." Fortissimo held out both hands. Megaman did so. "I've never met anyone like you. You, someone who would give an opponent a chance to kill you... for what? Pride, revenge, it matters not. I have always killed without hesitation... but you have shown me the wrong. Please... delete me." Fortissimo spread out his arms and closed his eyes.

"...No. I can't. You might think of me as insane, but I won't. I'll send you back to your time, you can decide what to do from there."

"No! If you send me back... Pandora and Prometheus... and... him... they'll rewrite my memory..."

"Then you'll just have to rewrite it again." Megaman placed his hand on Fortissimo's chest. One flash, and it was over. Fortissimo's altered reality began to fade. Megaman needed to make it to the ground, quick. He dashed as fast as he could, barely making it before jumping to the Net. Bass was hurled into the area Net when the reality broke, hurting the Navi even more.

"It's over, guys..." Megaman was adressing Lan, Maylu, and Bass. "Fortissimo is gone."


	24. The Return Home

**KK the Prophet: **You're a bit mistaken. Fortissimo is the strongest Navi and the final boss for : The College Years (twice). He made an appearance here because that was a crossover tournament, and I thought it would be fitting. It's 253 chapters, but the 251st/252nd chapters are teasers for the long 253rd chapter. It's really good, what I did was copied chapters into a text file and read them from my internet-less computer. Pandora and Prometheus are the Keepers of Life/Death (respectively) and Fortissimo's sidekicks in that fic. I had no idea they were from Megaman ZX. They aren't going to appear here, either.

Other people should review. Answering reviews is one of my favorite things. Oh, I'm uploading early because I'm going to be gone tomorrow.

* * *

**CHAPTER 24 : The Return Home**

"It's over, guys... Fortissimo is gone." Megaman turned to Roll. "Are you okay? The way you smashed into the ground looked painful."

"Yeah... Maylu fixed me up quick." Megaman smiled.

"Great!"

"Hey, Megaman, think you can do that new transformation thing again... what was it? Twilight?" Megaman sadly shook his head.

"Most of the really strong stuff like SoulCross and the power of Balance was caused by Fortissimo's reality distortion. Not only that, but me and Bass were probably only able to fuse because of my Legendary Berserker TeraChip he recovered, the usage of HubStyle Bass, and the spacial distortion of stepping through the portal to your world. The extreme stress and Roll's fusion probably helped create Twilight as well, and since I can't use SoulCross anymore... Yeah. Too many improbabilities... I doubt Twilight Hikari will ever appear again."

"...Twilight Hikari? Why did you add our last name on it?" Megaman chuckled.

"Do you get it, Maylu?" Maylu nodded. "How about you, Bass?"

"...I think it's kind of stupid." Lan glanced around innocently.

"What does it mean? Seriously, guys!"

"Lan, what does hikari mean?"

"It's my last name." Maylu facepalmed.

"No, the word. Hi-ka-ri."

Uhh... light or dawn... Oh! Twilight Dawn! Now I get it!" Maylu giggled and hugged him.

"You're so dense, Lan..." Lan didn't know what do reply, so he just hugged her back.

"Lan and Maylu, sitting in a tree! K-I-S-S--" Megaman's song was interrupted by a dry-sounding Lan.

"You know, Megaman, it's quite ironic that you're singing that, since you and Roll are the two who kissed." Megaman sweatdropped and Roll turned red. Bass facefaulted.

"I can't stand this. Megaman, I'd advise finding Dat soon. Because if you don't, you won't ever get your power back." Bass's body dissipated into pixels before he disappeared.

"That's sad..." Roll mused. "He's so obsessed with power that it's all he can think about." Megaman shook his head.

"No, he's obsessed with beating me. I am the only one he thinks is worthy to beat him, and even then, he'd rather not lose. I bet he's fairly upset with the way he was beaten, and even the fact that we fused, to a lesser extent."

"Why would he be upset with your fusion?"

"Even without the need to kill, he wants to be known as the strongest Navi, and to him, fusing with me shows that he has to rely on others. If he would have been in control, he wouldn't have minded as much, but..." Roll nodded knowingly. "Oh, Lan, your dad wants you back as soon as possible... When he was repairing me, he found some extra DNA in me, and he wants to know why." Megaman turned to Roll. "And he wants you and Maylu back for an experiment he would like to try, assuming it's okay with you." Megaman leaned over and whispered into Roll's ear. Roll nodded and returned to her PET.

"Oh... Well..." Maylu began talking to Roll in a hushed voice. "I guess it's okay."

"Great! Now I just have to change the plane tickets." Megaman got Maylu's ticket from Roll and jacked-in.

"I suppose we should head to the hotel to check out." The two teens began the long trek back to the hotel. The walk was mostly silent, neither teen wishing to revisit the day's events. When they arrived, they got their stuff, Lan jacked-in to a nearby port to get Megaman back into the PET, and they checked out of the motel.

"What does my dad want to do with you and Roll?" Lan asked while they waited for the bus. Megaman had sucessfully changed their tickets, although not without difficulty. Maylu turned away and said nothing. "Maylu?" He put a hand on her shoulder, and she stiffened.

"I'd rather not talk about it." She brushed his hand off. "I'm a little superstitious about talking about these kinds of things." Lan shrugged and seemed to accept the answer. Underneath, though, he knew something was wrong. Megaman wouldn't tell him, and Roll chewed him out for asking. Maylu was silent the entire bus ride back to the airport. When they got on the plane, Lan couldn't take it anymore.

"Maylu... I know something's wrong beyond what you told me. If it's something you don't want to talk about, that's fine, but don't lie to me." Lan put his arm around his girlfriend and she rested her head on his shoulder.

"Okay." She said nothing for a while, and Lan realized she fell asleep on him. He smiled and gently tousled her hair. Most of the plane ride, she was asleep, and Lan slept for parts of it too. As he was watching her sleep, thinking about how beautiful she was, she stirred and looked up. "Lan?"

"Yeah?" Maylu gently grasped the hand that was around her waist.

"Thanks for understanding." Lan nuzzled her head.

"You're welcome." They cuddled the rest of the plane ride, enjoying each other's warmth. Lan noticed some of the more 'refined' passengers giving them disgusted looks, but he didn't care. He was with the girl he loved. When the plane touched down in Electopia, the two quickly rode the MetroLine to SciLab, where Dr. Hikari met them. He gave them both a big hug, which slightly embarrassed Maylu. As he led them to his lab, Lan whispered to Maylu that he did that all the time.

"Here we are." Dr. Hikari stopped in front of a normal looking door. "Are you sure you want to go through with this?" Maylu gulped and nodded. All three stepped inside. In the room, there was a large clear cylinder hooked up to a small bank of computers. There were various displays on the computers, ranging from vital signs to a progress bar, and everything in between. "Please give me your PET and step in here." Dr. Hikari opened the door to the cylinder. Maylu walked up and handed her PET to him. "Now, while you're in here, you will probably feel some pain, but it will be temporary." Maylu nodded and stepped in. Dr. Hikari closed the door and sat down at the computers. He placed Maylu's pink PET into a PET-shaped slot and began to type.

"Dad?" Dr. Hikari continued to type as he answered.

"Yes?"

"What does this do?"

"It's a secret!" Lan facepalmed and sat down in a spare chair.

"Okay, here's another question... Do you remember Lana?" Dr. Hikari's eyebrows rose slightly.

"Not a good time, Lan. I'll tell you later." He continued to type furiously, not even looking at Lan. "Ready, Maylu?" Maylu nodded and Dr. Hikari pressed a green button. The cylinder began to glow with multi-colored lights before a shutter closed over it. "Just yell if you can't take it anymore." Dr. Hikari instructed the scared girl. Lan could hear a humming sound from the chamber. Suddenly, just as Lan though the cylinder would explode, it began to slow, and quickly came to a stop. The shutter opened and Dr. Hikari returned to typing. "Just have to do this... check this... and... done! Maylu, you can come out now." Dr. Hikari ejected the PET as Maylu opened the door.

"I feel... dizzy... Did it work?" Dr. Hikari smiled a huge grin and gave her a thumbs-up. Absolutely!"

"Great..." Maylu couldn't hold herself up anymore and began to fall. Lan dashed over and caught her before she hit the ground through.

"Maylu?" Lan looked at his dad. "What did you do?" Dr. Hikari walked over and took her pulse.

"She's just fainted. I was expecting it, since the process of external DNA replication is very energy-consuming."

"External DNA replication? What exactly did you do?" Lan had sat Maylu in the chair he had been sitting in.

"Well, you already know that when Hub was born, I took some of his DNA and tried to infuse it into a Navi. Then I managed to make you out of the same DNA, changing Hub's DNA just ever so slightly. Well, I thought, 'Why couldn't I infuse a living human's DNA into an already running Navi?' After a few years of experimentation, I was pretty sure I got it, and Roll and Maylu were the only two that were extremely close to each other that I could think of. So, I asked them to try it."

"Now I get it..."

"Get what?"

"Why she was so worried about this. She's been really quiet ever since she agreed. See, we met Lana and she told us about her fusion with Gen. Maylu must have been worried that she would end up like her."

"Like her? I'm sorry, I don't understand. Lana is dead."

"Dad, are you okay? She goes to my school. I've seen her." Dr. Hikari's mouth opened and closed like a fish and his eyes glazed over. "Dad?" Lan slugged his father and he snapped out of it.

"Could you tell me everything she told you?"

"Yeah. See, she hasn't aged a single bit in 20 years since she's part Navi, she's working for an evil organization named GUILT, and she has a split personality. Let's see... was there anything else? Oh! Inside GUILT she's taken the codename Wrath, and told me she's sworn her revenge on you and is going to enact it by killing me. Did I miss anything, Megaman?"

"I don't think so."

"Okay, this makes no sense. Ever since the experiment, we had kept a close eye on Lana, and she was taking various meds to prevent her personality changes. Then, one day, the building she was in exploded due to an electrical failure. We found her dead body inside the wreckage." Lan and Dr. Hikari both stood perfectly still for a few moments.

"Aha!" Lan snapped his fingers. "She's part Navi, right?" Dr. Hikari quickly explained that she was fully Navi and fully human. "Then she could have taken her mind and put it into Gen, then when her body was safe, returned to it." Dr. Hikari shook his head.

"That body was... very badly mangled. I don't think anything could have fixed it."

"You buried her, right?" Dr. Hikari nodded again. "What was the extent of the damage?"

"If I remember right, most of the organs were trashed, the outer skin was badly burnt and quite a bit was missing, and the brain was... uh..." Dr. Hikari scratched his head. "Completely intact."

"The organs could have easily been from other people, the skin is easily replaced, and then her mind could have been redownloaded. I'm guessing she set this up ahead of time, even down to the place she was standing when the building exploded. Someone came and dug her up, fixed her, and now she's living." Dr. Hikari pondered this for a moment.

"It's plausible."

"Now, onto Maylu's fears. Lana has her violent personality changes, and this experiment must have seemed similar to that one. Ergo, she thought she could end up like Lana."

"Okay... Now, onto more important matters. Why did Megaman have extra DNA in his data?"

"Well... Megaman and I accidentally fused. You know what the NetBattle Simulator is, right?"

"Yes."

"Well, using LifeSyncro inside it really isn't a good idea. According to Chaud, we hit a 400% sync ratio and held it for seven seconds before it came undone. While fused, Megaman's body armor appeared over me, and it felt like I was Megaman. Then, when we came out, Megaman was literally stuck in my body, and the crazy part was the new extremities."

"Extremeties?"

"Yeah. A Generation I jack-in port appeared on my side, Navis could jack-in to my left eye, and there seemed to be a full CompSpace inside me. It's all gone now, though. After battling Lana, we split. That's why Megaman was all beat up."

"...Crazy..." Dr. Hikari muttered. "The things you get into."

"That's not all!" Lan proceeded to tell the story of Sunrise Competition and Fortissimo, including LinkCross, SoulCross, and Twilight Hikari. When Lan was done, Dr. Hikari shook his head in wonder.

"I'd like to examine Megaman again. I want to study this new Cross system more closely." Lan obliged and handed his PET over. "Well, looks like I won't be home tonight. You better get some rest." Lan woke Maylu and the two took the MetroLine back to ACDC. When they arrived at Maylu's house, Maylu had a sad look upon saying goodbye.

"I'll see you tomorrow, Maylu." Lan said as he walked to his house. As he left the front step, though, Maylu ran out and latched onto his back.

"Can I sleep at your house tonight, Lan?" Lan was taken by surprise.

"Probably. I'll have to check with Mom, though." They walked to the Hikari residence, and Lan got permission for her to stay the night. She ran home to got her sleeping bag and pillows and quickly returned. As Lan was getting ready for bed, Maylu quickly kissed him on the cheek.

"G'night, Lan." She wriggled into her sleeping bag and set her PET next to her. Lan bent down and kissed her back.

"Good night." He turned off the lights and climbed into bed. A few minutes later, Maylu climbed into the bed after him. He responded by wrapping his arms around her and holding her tight. "I think I know why you were so scared of the experiment today." Maylu stirred slightly. "It was because you thought that you could end up like Lana, right?"

"Yeah." Maylu's voice was quiet.

"Don't worry. You could never become that heartless." Something came to Lan's mind all of a sudden. "Have I ever told you that you smell nice?" Maylu blushed, although Lan couldn't see it.

"Thank you." Lan lightly kissed the back of her neck.

"I only hope my mom doesn't come in." Maylu chuckled and turned to face the spiky-haired boy.

"Yeah, that'd cause a big misunderstanding." Maylu slowly reached up and caressed the teen's face. "Or would it?" Maylu giggled softly.

--------------

"Bondage and discipline. Dominion and submission. Sadism and machoism." An evil figure laughed from afar. "My plan is working perfectly."


	25. Twice as Much Guilt

**PEJP Bengtzone: **I knew you never left! Anyway, Yureka's time is fairly far into the future, probably about 500 years. I didn't think of adding her to the crossover tournament! Wish I woulda, though...

**Queen Sunstar: **Thanks.

**KK the Prophet: **No, it was more of a DNA infusion. You'll see what happens in this chapter. You should defiantly read _: The College Years_. Good story indeed.

I have decided to revoke the lemon offer I offered last chapter. Out of curiosity, who can tell me what 'Bondance and discipline. Dominion and submission. Sadism and machoism' is?

**

* * *

**

**CHAPTER 25 : Twice as Much Guilt**

"Bondance and discipline. Dominion and submission. Sadism and machoism." An evil figure laughed from afar. "My plan is working perfectly."

--------------

Lan's closed eyes met light as the sun began to rise through the open window. He slowly opened them and saw Maylu pressed into him.

"Maylu." Lan shook Maylu lightly. "Maylu!" Maylu moaned. "It's morning. You need to get back in your sleeping bag." Maylu's eyes snapped open and she hurried into her bed. It was just in time, too, because Haruka came in a few minutes later. Lan and Maylu pretended they were asleep, but Haruka saw through Maylu's guise.

"Maylu? Are you awake?" Maylu yawned and stretched.

"Yeah. I was trying to get back to sleep, but..." Well, it's the truth, just not all of it...

"Okay. I'll leave you alone for another hour or so." With that, Haruka left the room. Lan didn't move until he heard Haruka go downstairs, then he sat up.

"That was pretty good. You sure can think on your feet."

"Thanks." Maylu smiled a small smile. "I miss your warmth already." Something went off inside Lan.

_Something's off..._ Lan thought. "Yeah, me too." _Did I really just say that?_ Maylu scooted her sleeping bag closer to the bed.

"Your mom said she'd be back in an hour..." Maylu said. Her voice was soft and sensual.

_No! This isn't right!_ "Wait, Maylu." Lan struggled to get the words out. "Can't you feel it? Something's... off... This isn't normal..." Maylu looked confused.

"Not... normal? I've always felt this way about you, Lan..." Maylu got out of her sleeping bag and onto Lan's bed. She was blushing now. Lan realized he really had no control over his body at this point.

_No!_ Lan felt some strength return. "Maylu, you're acting like you're drunk!" Maylu paused. "Maylu, listen to me. I think something or someone else is doing this... like hypnosis or something. Don't do this... please." Maylu sat and thought for a moment before climbing off the bed.

"I... suppose... That makes sense. I'm sorry, Lan."

"No need to apologize. It wasn't your fault. We just have to find out who is doing this... except Dad has my PET."

"Roll to the rescue!" Maylu said, whipping out her PET. "Wake up, sleepyhead." She turned the PET on and waited for the pink Navi to appear. "Roll, go look for suspicious characters around here."

"Got it!" Maylu jacked-in and let Roll go searching.

"Maylu... I bet this is GUILT's doing. What I can't figure out is why." Both teens sat lost in thought for a few minutes. Lan found his mind constantly returning to Maylu, though, and he couldn't focus well. Maylu had discovered that she, too, couldn't think about anything but Lan. The two teens crept closer, ever so slowly. "Maylu, this has to stop. We have to find the person responsible for this." Maylu agreed, and they dressed and headed downstairs. Haruka had made a very nice breakfast of eggs and bacon, and both kids ate ravenously.

"Thank you, Mrs. Hikari." Maylu said after finishing.

"Thanks, Mom!" Lan replied, wiping his mouth with his sleeve. "Hey, Mom, we're going to SciLab. I'll see you later." Lan got up and grabbed his backpack.

"Okay, honey. Be back for lunch!"

"I will!" The two raced out the door in a westerly direction.

"Wait up, Lan!" Haruka smiled.

"Those two..."

--------------

"So, Dad, can I have Megaman back yet?" Lan asked.

"Well, I suppose. I haven't finished studying the Cross system completely, but I got a copy from Megaman's data. I guess it's fine." Dr. Hikari went to his computer and unhooked Lan's PET from it. "Maylu, I forgot to tell you what I was trying to achieve from your experimental DNA fusion with Roll. If my theory is correct, you should be able to achieve something similar to HubStyle now, assuming you and Roll share a high enough sync ratio. You two look like you're in a hurry, so I won't try to test that now, though."

"Thanks, Dad!"

"Yes, thank you, Dr. Hikari."

"My pleasure." Lan and Maylu hurried out of SciLab, back to the MetroLine. On the way, Lan informed Megaman of their current situation.

"...So I need you to help Roll look for the person responsible." Lan finished.

"Right." Megaman replied. Lan jacked-in and Megaman went searching for Roll.

"Hey, Lan, let's go to my house until lunch." Maylu suggested. Lan shrugged.

"Why not?" Upon arriving at Maylu's, Megaman returned to the PET with some news.

"Lan, I think we found his Navi." Megaman announced.

"Really? Where?"

"In a remote part of NetCity. Roll's on her way."

"Okay, hurry!" Megaman returned to the Net and dashed off. Lan and Maylu walked up to her room and connected their PETs to Maylu's computer. Lan began rummaging through his BattleChips. "Hey, Megaman, can you tell what type the Navi is?" Megaman paused for a second.

"No can do, Lan. Sorry."

"No problem." Lan messed around with his folder for a bit more before deciding on the chips he would use.

"Hey, Roll, what can you tell me about this Navi?"

"Not much. All I can tell you is that he's named Jasper, that and he's been causing a lot of trouble in NetCity recently.

"Right, then." Soon, Megaman and Roll arrived in what would be called the ghetto of NetCity. Most of the buildings were dilapidated and empty, and the ones that were inhabited had Navis doing all kinds off illegal stuff in them. Rumor had it that this was once a prospering place, but a single Navi slowly corrupted it.

"Maylu, do you think this Jasper is the one who supposedly corrupted this place?" Lan asked.

"Could be. It seems reasonable."

"Right here. He's inside this house." Megaman and Roll stopped in front of an old shack.

"Megaman, how are we going to battle here? I know you can use BattleChips, but all I've got is my Heart Slash." Roll asked.

"I don't know. I think I'm going to try and lure him outside NetCity somehow..." Megaman looked around. He walked over to some crates and looked inside them. "Here we go..." He pulled out two heavy cloaks and some cyber dirt.

"What's the dirt for?"

"To make us less... colorful." Megaman spread the dirt on both of them and the donned the cloaks. Megaman walked up to the door and knocked on it. A female Navi in a purple bodysuit answered.

"...What do you want?"

"I heard I can get some drugs here." Megaman said in a low voice. He kept his face slightly down. "My other man got... laid off... and I need someone else to get me my stuff." The purple Navi smirked.

"Okay, what do you want?" Megaman told him the name of the only drug he knew of. The Navi chuckled. "Didn't think you'd be into that. Anyway, I'm out of it right now, but I'll have some in two hours. Where do you want me to meet you?"

"UnderNet Area 2." Megaman replied.

"Right. Be there in two and a half hours. I'll only wait for five minutes if you're not there." The Navi closed the door and Megaman and Roll got out of there as quickly as they could without drawing attention. Once in the normal parts of NetCity, they jacked-out.

"So, there's the plan. UnderNet 2 in two and a half hours." Megaman said. Lan nodded.

"We'll be ready."

--------------

Megaman and Roll were there exactly five minutes before the purple Navi arrived. They had cleaned the cyber dirt off their body, although they still wore the cloaks.

"Here you go. Money first."

"Tell me... do you know of an organization called GUILT?" Megaman said.

"...What's it to you?"

"I'm... hunting them, you could say." The purple Navi laughed.

"Hunting an invincible organization? Do you want to die?" Megaman threw back his hood.

"Do you?" The purple Navi stopped laughing, but a smirk grew on her face.

"Good guess, little Navi. You're right, I'm Jasper of GUILT, also known as Lust." Lust paused. "You must be Megaman." She turned to Roll. "And that must be Roll." Roll tossed her cloak aside, as did Megaman.

"Are you manipulating my NetOp?" Megaman asked. Lust laughed again.

"You could say that. I specialize in hypnosis, so it's easy to hypnotize a Navi to hypnotize his NetOp to do whatever I want."

That explains it... Lan thought back to the plane trip.

-------FLASHBACK-------

"Maylu, what's wrong?" Lan asked.

"That guy over there. He's watching us." Maylu motioned to a seat to the left and a few behind them. Lan glanced at him.

"Indeed. Just try to ignore him." They did a good job of it for a while, but while they were watching a movie, strange sounds began to come out of the headphones and the picture went somewhat fuzzy. Lan tried to identify the cause, but they stopped after about a minute. Lan didn't thing anything of it at the time, just a technical malfunction.

-----END FLASHBACK-----

"So you were the cause of the strange events on the plane." Lan said.

"Indirectly, yes. I actually expected you to come after me, so I brought reinforcements. Oh, Envy~!" Lust called. Dat walked out from behind a broken column.

"Long time no see, Megaman. Too bad for you, another Navi stole some of your power." Envy taunted.

"Yes. It helped me beat Fortissimo." Both Envy and Lust were taken aback.

"Wait, that was you? Reports informed us that an unknown Navi with power levels through the roof did that!" Envy exclaimed.

"It was me, Bass, and a combination of other things, including the TeraChips and even Fortissimo's reality distortion that did it." Lust and Envy composed themselves.

"No matter. We'll take you out!" Both Navis charged, with Megaman fighting Envy and Roll fighting Lust.

"Aqua Tower, BattleChip in! Download!" Roll planted her hand against Lust's chest, sending her flying into Envy.

"Rope3!" Thick, thorny vines entangled the both of them, causing them to struggle wildly.

"Wait a second, Lust." The two Navis stopped struggling. "StyleChange: HeatGuts Style!" Dat's right fist became massive, and his bodysuit and helmet became red. The heat of the transformation burned away the vines, setting the two free. Megaman noticed, however, that the color of HeatGuts was slightly darker than normal. "Ahh, so you've noticed. See, I decided your abilities were not up to standard when I lost to Bass, so I upgraded them a bit. This is not the HeatGuts you know. This is HeatGuts Corruption!"

"It still can't stand up to the power of unity." Megaman said. Lust scoffed.

"Unity. Hah! Your unity is a load of crap. We'll beat you with sheer force! Drain Cannon!" Lust formed a dark purple cannon on her arm and fired. Roll dodged, but it hit Megaman, draining his health and adding it to hers.

"Corruption Blaze!" Envy fired a spray of flames that caught both Megaman and Roll. "That fire is very potent. Not only does it do constant fire damage, it eats at your data, replacing it with corrupted data that doesn't really work. Megaman groaned.

"It hurts so much, Megaman... I think this is... the end..."

"You can't say that, Roll. There's... always... hope... Gah!" Megaman yelled when the corrupted data began to spread. Roll's head fell.

"No!" Maylu yelled. Suddenly Roll began to shine. A massive gush of water burst from her, putting out the fire and knocking Lust over.

Hey, I know this feeling... Lan thought. When the steam cleared, Roll's helmet was sparkling, along with her gloves and boots. The patch on her back was also shining. Megaman was also sparking in the same way, except the light blue lines on his body were sparkling as well.

"Is this...?" Maylu asked.

"Yes, Maylu. This is what I call HubStyle." Maylu looked at her hands and saw Roll's gloves. Not only that, but she had heard the answer from Megaman, not Lan. "Oddly enough, I entered it too."

"If you want to play like that, fine!" Envy dropped HeatGuts Corruption and entered his HubStyle. His helmet and symbol began to shine with a dark light. "This is PrimalStyle!"

"Might as well show my stuff, too!" Lust's body hardened and began to sparkle. Small purple stones began to embed themselves in various places. "Here is my GemStyle!"

"So, a GemStyle Navi, a HubStyle Navi, a PrimalStyle Navi, and a FusionStyle Navi all fighting. This ought to be fun." Maylu said. "Let's rock."


	26. Four Kinds of Crazy!

**Queen Sunstar: **Thanks.

**PEJP Bengtzone: **Okay, go ahead with your Alterverse. I am altogether against homosexuality, although I'm not saying I hate homosexuals. A good friend of mine is a homosexual (I am very sure I will be flamed for this, but that's okay).

**KK the Prophet: **Cool quote. I can't find where it's from by Google, though. Megaman being a love slave is waaaay overused, believe it or not. I probably won't have that happen.

Hey, I'm really sorry for the late update. This was the only chapter so far that wasn't done by Saturday (even the others were, I just forgot to upload or couldn't for some reason). I was going to do it Friday night, but then my dad started watching TV in the other room, and I had to wait for him to leave. Right when I decided to give up on it, he left. I decided just to sleep. I was gone all day Saturday, and went to the Skillet concert Sunday night. That's why it's so late. Sorry.

**

* * *

**

**CHAPTER 26 : Four Kinds of Crazy!**

"So, a GemStyle Navi, a HubStyle Navi, a PrimalStyle Navi, and a FusionStyle Navi all fighting. This ought to be fun." Maylu said. "Let's rock." Roll started the battle by forming her Roll Arrow and launching it at Envy. Envy dodged and returned fire.

"Jasper Blade!" Lust formed a diamond-hard purple blade on her right hand and lunged for Megaman.

"Splitter!" Envy launched a high-pitched screech, immobilizing Megaman, Roll, and Lust. "Sorry about that, Lust," Envy said as he dashed by her, "But I want a chance to use some of this power." Envy punched Megaman, snapping him out of his paralysis. Megaman and Envy began exchanging supersonic punches, neither scoring a hit on the other. Roll and Lust were fighting with long-range weaponry.

"Aqua Tower!" Roll called her primary BattleChip and planted her hands against the ground. A solid rushing wall of water loomed over Lust as she prepared her next attack.

"JasperBody!" Lust became a solid, glinting purple, and the water rushed over her with no effect.

"Hey, Lan, remember what we can do here?" Megaman asked.

"Oh, yeah... Here goes, Megaman! Spreader, BattleChip in!" Lan inserted the chip and the power of AquaCustom upgraded it to a HyperBurst. Megaman pressed the weapon to Envy's chest and fired, blasting a hole through the dark Navi. He was also thrown back quite a way. "Sword, BattleChip in!" AquaCustom upgraded this to a LifeSword, which he swept towards Lust. Lust was surprised by the unexpected impact, and it stunned her long enough for Roll to get a couple good hits in. After that, however, Lust came back with more fury and power then before, driving Roll towards Megaman. Envy had done the same thing after using a Recovery300 and AquaCustom Corruption to Program Advance to DarkHeart. Megaman and Roll's backs were now touching as they tried to drive back the two attackers.

"Now for the final blow!" Lust and Envy began to run circles around the two, going so fast they were nearly invisible.

"Ow!" Megaman yelled after he was pricked with something. Roll also yelped after feeling the same sensation. Lust stopped in front of Megaman, and Envy in front of Roll, then they began to float into the sky.

"Dark Matter Wave!!" The two yelled in unison. Megaman and Roll fired their weapons at the two, but the shots just bounced off. A dark glow now surrounded both floating Navis.

"Roll, fire over my shoulder."

"What?"

"Just do it!" At the same time Roll moved, Megaman moved to fire over Roll's shoulder. The shots hit the dark Navis at the same time, breaking their concentration and sending them crashing to the ground. "You take Lust." Megaman said as he dashed to Envy.

"Shotgun!" Megaman's arms began to glow as AquaCustom upgraded the low-level weapon into the Power Cannon. Megaman held the weapon to Dat's NaviMark, using the weight of the cannon to crush him.

"Delete me... and you delete all the data I stole." Dat groanded under the weight of the gargantuan blue cannon.

"That's a chance I'm willing to take." Megaman said. Even as he said it, he shifted the cannon to blow away most of Envy's legs and propel Megaman into the air. He came down armed with two ElecBlades and drove them through Envy's biceps. Envy screamed as the massive amount of pain coursed through his body, and his NaviMark began to flash. "What's this?" Megaman touched the NaviMark, and found a familiar power flow into him.

"No... No!!" Suddenly Megaman was torn from Envy with a powerful blow.

"Get away from him!" Lust said. Envy's NaviMark was still glowing slightly. Lust put her hand on it. "Let me in, Dat..." she said softly.

"You and you only, milady." A strong light came from that general direction as Megaman ran to Roll. She was lying on the ground, badly wounded.

"What happened?" Roll coughed.

"Sucker punch. The dirty coward." Megaman took her hand and tried to help her up, but she stumbled and fell again. "I'm sorry, Megaman. Forget about me."

"Never. I could never forget about you." Megaman said with tears forming in his eyes. Once more, he tried to help her up. She resisted.

"No, Megaman..."

"Trust me." And with one strong pull, he pulled her up... and straight into him as his own transformation began to occur. Lust and Envy's was about complete, and finished at the same time as Megaman and Roll's. Lust and Envy combined looked almost like someone had cut each of them in half and stuck them together, although with some good taste. Their size had increased as well. On the other hand, Megaman's transformation looked like nothing had happened. He looked completely normal. Even HubStyle had disappeared. On a close look, however, you could see that the blue highlights along his legs and chest were pulsing with light.

"Ahahaha!" Lust spoke in a female, grating voice with a male echo behind it. "Nothing happened!"

"On the contrary... Everything happened." Megaman spoke the words from behind Lust at the same time he ran an ElementBlade through her. He continued to call on different Program Advances faster than Lan could download chips as he trashed Lust. "HubStyle..." He landed a hit that broke her left shoulderpad. "DoubleSoul..." He smashed her knee with a hammer. "LifeSyncro..." He took her right shoulder clean off with the blast from a Z-Cannon. "And lastly, the True Limit!!" Megaman came down hard on Lust with a single CyberSword, cracking her helmet.

"No... How can this be...?" Lust said, panting on the ground. "We fused in just the same way... We should be stronger!" Megaman held up her head with his sword.

"No. You used the power of darkness to create your fusion. Ours was brought about solely by trust... and love." Megaman pressed the blade closer. "On the outside, lust looks great. But after you succumb to it, it becomes an ugly beast. Just like you are now." Lust screamed.

"It won't end like this!!" Lust formed a buster of some sort and fired into Megaman's NaviMark at point-blank range. The shock caused Megaman to slice into Lust's throat. She quickly logged out as Megaman lay on the ground, de-rezzing badly. First, Roll appeared next to him with the same wounds, then he fell out of HubStyle, and lastly, the LifeSyncro came undone.

"Megaman! Megaman!! Megaaaamaaaan!!" Lan yelled, tears streaming down his face. He tried to log out, but it wouldn't let him. Megaman gingerly lifted his head and looked at Lan.

"There's... still... hope. There's... always... hope." Megaman laid his head down and put his arms around Roll the best he could. "Come find me, Lan. I'll be waiting." And with that, Megaman and Roll disappeared in a burst of pixels.

"Nooooo!!" Lan yelled. Maylu had tears streaming down her face, as well. Lan fell to his knees, sobbing. "Not again... Not again..." was all Lan said, over and over. Maylu stood over him and put a hand on his shoulder.

"Lan, I know how you feel." Those were the worst words Maylu could have said at that point.

"No, you don't! Have you ever lost your brother three times? No one knows how it feels!!" Lan stood up and ran out of his room.

"Lan!" Maylu called after him. Whether or not he heard her and ignored her, or didn't hear her, she didn't know. She quickly ran after him. She chased him for a solid half an hour before finding him crying in her room. "Lan, you're right. I don't know how you feel. But do you remember what Megaman said? He said there was still hope. Him and Roll are waiting for you to save them." Lan said nothing and continued crying. "If you're not going, then I'll go by myself." Lan stopped crying for a moment. Maylu began to leave.

"I can't let you do that." Lan spoke. Maylu froze in her tracks. "I will go find them." Maylu smiled and walked over to Lan. She reached down to Lan's hand and grasped it firmly in hers. Then she pulled him from his spot on the floor to his feet. "Thanks, Maylu. Thank you for not giving up on me." Lan pulled her close into a warm hug and kissed her neck lightly. Maylu blushed.

"No problem, Lan. It's the least I could do for my best friend." Lan nodded and nuzzled her cheek with his.

"You're so soft..." Lan mumbled. Maylu blushed a brighter red.

"Lan..." Lan squeezed her once more before letting go.

"Let's go, Maylu. Off to the SciLabs!"

--------------

"You want to do what?" Dr. Hikari asked.

"I want to use the machine that puts my conscience into the Net." Lan stated for the second time.

"Why?" Lan shrugged and Dr. Hikari sighed. "Okay." He led them down a hall, through a few doors, and down another hall before arriving at a door. He unlocked the door and led them in. From there, they went down three more halls and two doors before arriving at their destination.

"Why is the SciLab so confusing?" Lan asked. Dr. Hikari shrugged.

"Because we're scientists?" Lan chuckled. "Anyway, here it is. Lan, you sit in this one, and Maylu in this one." Both teens sat in a large metal chair with various attachments. Dr. Hikari gave them some instructions, and turned the machine on. First, they saw a white light, and then Lan felt the familiar feeling of leaving his body. When he arrived in the Cyberworld, Maylu was waiting for him.

"That was... weird." Maylu said.

"You get used to it after the first or second time." Lan replied. "Okay, let's go."

"Hold on a second, Lan." Dr. Hikari's face appeared onscreen. "These energy pistols should keep you protected, at least long enough for you to flee." Dr. Hikari tapped some keys and a stand with two pistols emerged from the ground. Lan and Maylu each took one and stuffed it into their belts.

"Thanks, Dad. Now, let's go."

"Be careful, Lan. Maylu." Dr. Hikari said before signing off. The two began to walk.

"Lan, where are we going?"

"Well, the last time this happened, Megaman was waiting deep in the UnderNet. Last time, though, I had Shadowman to guide me." Suddenly, a black form dropped down in front of him.

"I heard my name."

"Shadowman?"

"Who else would drop from the sky?" Lan shrugged.

"Hey, Shadowman, do you think you could guide me to that place where Megaman was before after he got deleted? The one in the UnderNet?" Shadowman nodded.

"I suppose. It's on my way." Shadowman began to walk and Lan and Maylu followed behind. They made their way to the UnderNet without problem. "Here." Shadowman pointed to a large circular chasm. In the middle, there was a small platform connected by a very thin bridge. There were two coffin-shaped objects with a rounded glass dome on the platform. Inside the containers there was Megaman and Roll, badly wounded.

"Megaman!" Lan ran up to the edge of the bridge. Maylu quickly followed him to the edge as he began to inch his way across. Maylu took one step across, looked down, and gulped. Lan made it to the platform, but he was stopped by some sort of field. "Maylu! I need you to come over! I can't get through the barrier without you!" Maylu tried to take a few steps, but she quickly backed away.

"I can't, Lan..." Lan quickly hurried back to her and took her hand.

"Maylu, close your eyes."

"What?"

"Just do it, Maylu! There isn't much time." Maylu closed her eyes. "Now trust me." Lan began to lead her forward, her eyes shut tight.

"Lan..."

"Shh... It's okay. I won't let you fall." The two made it back to the platform and were able to pass the barrier that stopped Lan before. "Megaman! Can you hear me?" Megaman opened his only functional eye and smiled.

"I knew you'd come, Lan." Megaman weakly said.

"Don't worry, Hub. I'll get you out."

"Lan! Roll's not responding to me!" Lan turned around to look at the damaged Roll. She was worse then Megaman. Most of the right side of her head was gone, along with her left arm and part of the left torso, her right hand, and her right leg. Her right antennae was gone, and only half of her left antennae remained. There was other damage to the other parts of her body, too. Suddenly Lan felt a single heartbeat. Then another. And another. He took Maylu's hand and placed it on the glass dome encasing Roll. Her hand fell through, although Lan's stopped at the glass.

"You know what to do." Lan said as he turned back to Megaman. He placed his hand on the dome covering Megaman. "Let's go home, Hub."


	27. Alpha to Omega & Everything In Between

**Hakuryuken: **You've got some good questions. Yes, the members of GUILT are all named after the seven deadly sins. The scene with Shadowman was meant to be like that, with him popping out of nowhere. Now for a question from me: If you've been reading since the first chapter, how come you've only reviewed this one? :P

**PEJP Bengtzone: **Maybez. Roll might be restored... I doubt I'll have Roll become more 'adult-like.' Roll's appearance is designed to be about thirteen or so, and she has no reason to become older. No, I haven't read your fic yet. I can tell from the title that it's a crossover, what between?

GASP! Only two reviews? Where've pplz gone?

**

* * *

**

**CHAPTER 27 : From Alpha to Omega and Everything In Between**

"Let's go home, Hub." Lan fell through the glass dome into the capsule containing Megaman. He felt the familiar bonding as his body and Megaman's body fused. Then, in a flash of white light, he was in Megaman's PET. He was, in every sense, Megaman. Megaman was living only because Lan was fused directly into him. He was still badly wounded, although the fusion had patched Megaman up fairly well. "Dr. Hikari!" Lan called from the PET. Dr. Hikari reached over and pulled the PET off his son's belt. "Quick, a medic!" Dr. Hikari gasped.

"Hold on, I'll take you to the lab--"

"No, that's too far. Roll should be here any minute, and she's worse off then I am. Plug me into your software here."

"That won't help at all!"

"It'll keep me alive long enough. Hurry..." Lan collapsed on the floor. Dr. Hikari raced over to his computer and inserted Lan's PET into a slot designed for it. He tapped a few keys and ran back to Maylu. "Ahh..." Lan sighed. "Megaman should be safe now." He split his fusion with Megaman and hurried back to the place he jacked-out. Maylu and Roll were still there. Maylu's hand was still partway into Roll's capsule. She had a blank stare on her face. "Maylu?" Lan waved his hand in front of her. "Maylu? Maylu!" It was then he noticed her mumbling something.

"Loop, repeat, loop... Function Alpha-Beta 7... Loop, repeat, loop..."

"Loop, repeat, loop? What does that mean?" Lan put his hand on Maylu's shoulder and yelped. His vision turned white, and then five images began flashing rapidly in his mind.

_What? What are these? Lan thought. He strained to make out the first picture as it passed by. This is... a picture of Megaman! The second one... oh, that shape is so familiar, but I can't place it! What is it... Oh! It's a PET! Looks like Maylu's PET, to be exact. I think I can see Roll on the display. The third one... Hmm. I can't make it out. It could be... No, that wouldn't make sense. I think it's probably... Oh! That's FusionStyle Roll, but it looks like a picture of Maylu was placed on top of it. This fourth one's easy, that's Megaman and Roll's NaviMarks, although half is Megaman's and half is Roll's. This fifth one... What?_ The fifth picture was absolute black. No matter how hard he looked, there was nothing but darkness. _What?_ Suddenly, he heard a voice cry out to him. The images shifted, leaving him in a massive black chasm. The images sometimes flashed on what he took to be the walls.

"Lan! Something's deathly wrong! Help! I'm fading so slowly... the pain... help..." Maylu's voice got weaker and weaker.

"Hang on, Maylu!" Then he heard it.

"Loop, repeat, loop. Loop, repeat, loop." The voice continued to repeat those words. Then Lan realized it was his voice monotonously speaking. He realized he couldn't move his body.

"Oh, wonderful." Lan paused for a second. "Loop, repeat, loop? Of course! BREAK!" Lan shouted with all the power he could muster. The chasm brighted slightly and he regained control of his body, but Maylu was still stuck. He was still in the chasm, too, as long as he was touching Maylu.

"Lan! I tried saying break, but it didn't work!" Lan thought for a moment.

"I was saying loop, repeat, loop, and she's saying... Aha! Maylu! Try saying 'Break. Return. Break!'" A moment passed. And then another. Then Maylu stirred. Lan was thrown out of the chasm.

"Lan... Roll's still not responding." Maylu was near tears. Lan pressed his ear to Roll's casing.

"For... true... always... false... do... while... repeat." Lan could barely make out the words coming from Roll.

"What? That doesn't make any sense. How can I go about ending this...?" Lan thought for as long as he could spare. "...ending? Right, Roll hasn't ended yet... Of course!" Lan turned to Maylu. "I think I know what to do, but I don't know what will happen. I need you to place your hand back on the capsule and get it as close to Roll as you can. Maylu nodded and swallowed, then plunged her hand into the capsule. Lan placed his hand on Maylu's shoulder and was returned to the chasm of data. "Maylu! As soon as I finish talking, stop touching Roll! I have no idea what will happen!" Lan paused and waited for a response.

"Okay!"

"Here goes. Return main, -1!" Suddenly, things began to shut down all around him. The chasm fell away to reveal a brilliant light, saturated with bits of code and other things. Lan found himself unable to move. "Maylu! Maylu... I guess it's over. If Roll shuts down with us inside her, we're likely to get deleted. I guess... this is goodbye." Lan closed his eyes and prepared for death. Then, suddenly, the light dropped into black, and Lan felt no more.

--------------

"Disengage all systems!" Dr. Hikari had noticed the odd goings-on for the last ten minutes. Lan and Maylu's heartbeat, pulse, and even brain waves had become synced, but in a strange pattern he had never seen before. Then he had realized that was a Navi's simulated brain wave, and guessed Roll was the thing Lan and Maylu were synced to. He wasn't far off. When the brain waves and heartbeat began to drop, he began to get concerned. Then all three readings flatlined. That was when he pulled the two teens out. "I hope to God I'm not too late." The machines finished shutting down, and Dr. Hikari ran to try to wake Lan. He took him by the shoulders and shook him as hard as he could. "Lan! Lan!!" Lan groaned.

"Five more minutes..." Lan turned over and fell out of the chair. Dr. Hikari shook his head as Lan kept on sleeping.

"I guess he's fine." He turned to Maylu and shook her. No response. He shook her harder. Still no response. "Maylu? Maylu!" He shook her harder and harder, to no avail. Then he heard a faint hum from somewhere over there. "Is the machine still on...?" He asked himself. Then he realized the hum was from the PET. He grabbed it and checked the display. "Roll! You're okay! Where's Maylu?"

"We're both here, we're both safe, we're both in pain... it hurts... pain..." Roll continued to mumble about pain and darkness.

"Hold on!" Dr. Hikari rushed to his computer and hooked the PET up to it. He made sure data repair began before returning to Lan. Lan had realized where he was and sat up, rubbing his eyes.

"Where's Maylu?"

"I think she's in Roll's PET."

"Oh. Well, where's Roll's PET?"

"Connected to my computer."

"Oh, that's bad." Lan rushed over to the computer. "Maylu! You have to break the fusion before the repair gets too far. It shouldn't be a problem here, but in a faster computer, you must be very careful.

"Yes..." Maylu appeared beside a badly damaged Roll. "Now, how do I get out?" Lan explained the process, and before long, Maylu was rubbing her eyes too.

"Welcome home, Maylu." Lan said. "Welcome home."

--------------

Two days later, Megaman and Roll were back to normal, along with their Operators. Maylu had been slightly comatose for a few hours afterward, but she recovered after that. They were both at Lan's house after school when he got a call from Famous.

"Lan! There's a report of an intruder in the DenTech energy plant. I need you to jack-in and confront him or her."

"Right on it, Mr. Famous!"

"No need for formalities." Famous replied as Lan hung up.

"Here we go, then! Jack-in! Megaman! Power up!" When Megaman arrived inside the computer, Lan gave him some coordinates.

"Lan, do you need Roll to help?"

"I won't know until I see he enemy. If I need Roll to jack-in, I'll say it. Two Navis are more conspicuos then one, though." Maylu nodded.

"True enough." Megaman arrived at the CompSpace inside the power plant fairly quickly. Once inside, he saw random symbols everywhere.

"Hey... I think these are Greek letters!"

"You are right indeed." Megaman whipped around to see a tall, blue-green NetNavi with a streamlined helmet. The parts of his gloves covering the forearm and underarm came to a point, as did his boots. His NaviMark, which was on his helmet slightly off-center to the left, looked like a circle with the bottom part flipped open and flattened. "I am Omegaman, also known as Pride. As you might have guessed, I am with GUILT. Nice to see you. I've heard so much about you."

"What are you here for?" Megaman snapped.

"So rude. I suppose I'm going to have to teach you a lesson before going to get the Koroko-Zenera."

"Koroko-Zenera?"

"Prepare to meet your doom, boy! Alpha Wind!" Omegaman formed a glowing orb in his right hand, and suddenly a fierce gale was whipped up against Megaman, cutting into him.

"Barrier!" The crystal shield protected Megaman for the rest of the assault, but it faded right as the last gust finished. "AquaSword!" Megaman formed the liquid blade and dashed to Omegaman.

"Beta Sword!" Omegaman formed another orb, which sprouted into a glowing blue blade. The swords crashed together as both Navis tried to get the upper hand. Suddenly, Omegaman withdrew his sword, dodged, and quickly slashed upwards, breaking Megaman's sword. "Really? You're not all that great. Gamma Wood!" Omegaman planted his hand on the ground, and WoodTowers began to sprout up towards Megaman.

"HeatShot, BattleChip in!" Megaman fired the weapon at the massive spiked towers, and they all caught on fire. The flames traveled al the way back to Omegaman, wounding him slightly.

"Fine. Delta Thunder!" He raised his hand to the sky and a thunderstorm began to brew. Then, with a flick of his wrist, a bolt of electricity coursed from the storm into Megaman, hurting him badly. "You're not that great at all! Here, try this. Theta Wave!" A wall of water arose from behind Omegaman and crashed over him towards Megaman.

"Here! Use this!" Lan sent an AntiDamage to Megaman just in time. As the wall of water hit Megaman, he disappeared and threw three shurikens at Omegaman. All three hit their mark.

"So, you managed to do some actual damage to me! No matter. Zeta Heart!" Omegaman formed a pink orb and used it to heal him wounds. "Now, Pi Cube!" Multiple blocks of stone fell from the sky, and as Megaman was dodging them, Omegaman dashed up to him and attacked him with his Beta Sword.

"Gah! I can't get in a single attack! Blind, BattleChip in! Download!"

"Upsilon Shadow!" Omegaman disappeared right before a blast of light came from Megaman. Megaman looked around warily, waiting. Suddenly, he heard somebody climbing the RockCubes Omegaman had placed. He watched the pile that the sound came from until he heard another sound.

"Aha!" Megaman shot a volley of buster shots to that location. He heard one or two grunts and continued to fire. As Omegaman reached the top, he turned visible again.

"Sigma Cannon!" Omegaman outstretched his arm and formed an orb in his hand. He then began to snipe Megaman, jumping from pile to pile of cubes.

"Now, Megaman! Geddon1!" Megaman punched the ground and a massive crack began to form over the whole field, breaking under each pile Omegaman jumped onto. Once he was out of piles, he jumped straight into the air and formed a firy red orb in both hands.

"You're out of room to run, too." It was true. In his dodging, Megaman had nearly nowhere left he could dodge to. "Now, face my final attack... Omega Flame!!"


	28. Past, Present, Future

**Hakuryukan: **I kinda suspected that. I forgot about the Alpha Laser... xD that'd be funny. I believe AirShoes was a chip in 4 or 5, though I could be wrong. I don't understand what you mean about Shademan...

**KK the Prophet: **That's right... I accidentally deleted it and thought 'Oh, I'll remember...' Right. I have legendary forgetfulness. Anyway, It could be a clue to the weaknesses. What were you thinking for Lust and Envy? By the way, you were mistaken about Envy. He's not dead, just fused. And it's not permanent. xD Shadowman does rule.

**Queen Sunstar: **Yes he did.

**PEJP Bengtzone: **Hmm... Never read/watched Angelic Layer, so I probably wouldn't get most of it. Are you going to stick around? Because, in wither the 30th or 31st chapter, something you're going to hate is going to happen...

Hey, guys... I'm really sorry about not updating. I've been really busy, and for two weeks in a row, I've had to crash at a friend's house on Friday night... Which is when I do most of my writing. Then I've been staying up late hanging on the internet on my Wii, and then being too tired to write, so this chapter will have to do for both last week and this week. I'll try to get it done on time next week, and since that is Thanksgiving, I should have time. Sorry.

**

* * *

**

**CHAPTER 28 : Past, Present, Future**

"Now, face my final attack... Omega Flame!!" Omegaman launched a massive stream of flames at Megaman. Megaman crossed his arms and braced himself for the impact.

I don't think I can survive this... Megaman thought. I guess it's over. Goodbye, Lan. Goodbye... Roll. Then the flames engulfed him.

"Megaman!!" Lan screamed. The flames just kept pouring down.

"Ahahaha! There's no way he could survive that attack!" Then, something down in the gigantic blaze shone brighter than the flames themselves. The inferno swirled around the light, continuing until it was enveloped. "What is this?" Then, a massive shockwave put out the blaze and caused Pride to shield his eyes. After the shockwave passed, he looked at the spot where Megaman was. Megaman was on one knee, looking at the ground. He looked up at Pride with a fire in his eyes and stood. His right fist had been enlarged, and his bodysuit had changed to red. Not only that, but his helmet between the fins was shining, along with the highlights along his body. His body had been slightly enlarged, as well.

"Good question, Pride." Megaman dashed to Pride and began to throw punches at high speeds. Pride blocked all of them and looked for a chance to attack. "I don't really like people who try to kill me!" Megaman threw one more heavy punch that Pride caught. "HeatArm!" The fist that Pride caught transformed and began to spew flames. Pride jumped back, holding his left arm.

"Fine. Play that way. Rho Heal!" Pride's arm began to lose its burn marks.

"Ah... Now I see. He has attacks for each element." Lan mused. "Fire, Aqua, Elec, Wood, Wind, Invis, Recov, Null, Sword, Break, and Obstacle."

"Now, fear this! Sigma-Theta Pump!" With his left hand, Pride formed the orb with the letter Theta inside, and held that arm as far out as it went. With his right hand, he formed Sigma and held that hand at his elbow with his palm facing the Theta orb. He fired a beam from the Sigma orb, which shot through the Theta orb and created a high-pressure stream of water that hit Megaman dead center. Megaman screamed and fell to one knee.

"Megaman! HeatShot, BattleChip in!" Megaman formed the low-level buster with his right hand and weakly pointed it at Pride, who was walking toward him.

"Do you really think that pathetic weapon can do anything to me?" Megaman sighed.

"No." Megaman fired a steady stream of flames from the gun, engulfing Pride. It barely slowed him, though.

"That doesn't seem right..." Lan mumbled. He checked the BattleChips tab on his PET. "Megaman! That HeatShot's power is through the roof! It's at least four times stronger than it normally is!"

"Four times...?" Megaman said. "Then why isn't it stopping him?"

"Because you can't hurt me! I am all powerful! Nothing can stop me!" Suddenly, Megaman felt a strong pulsing inside his body. It felt like all his energy was going to the buster.

"Megaman! You're taking major damage!"

"Major... damage?" Megaman was near unconsciousness now, and Pride was still advancing. The stream of flames was beginning to dwindle. "Major... damage!" Megaman turned the flaming weapon on himself and the flames streamed over him.

"Megaman! What are you doing?!"

"Lan! Quickly, send me another Fire chip! Don't ask why, just do it!"

"FireHit3! BattleChip in! Download!" Megaman's buster changed into a flaming fist, and he punched himself.

"So, you don't want to be defeated by my hands, eh?" Pride said as he stopped in front of Megaman.

"Lan, send me one more Fire chip."

"What was that, puny blue one?" Pride asked mockingly. Megaman looked up.

"I said, Salamander!!" Megaman's body became engulfed with flames, and he tackled Pride, holding him as close to his body as he could.

"Do you really think you can hurt me with that?"

"No." The flames around Megaman began to die. "But this might." Megaman focused, and the inferno surrounding Megaman began to get hotter and hotter.

"What is this? I'm... burning up!" Megaman smirked.

"This is Salamander. What else could it be?" The flames continued to get hotter and hotter.

"Mark my words, I'll get you for this!" Pride vanished to another part of the Net in a storm of pixels, and Megaman fell to the ground. He laid there for a minute or two, just resting.

"Lan... I feel like I'm burning up." Lan checked the NetNavi tab on his PET.

"Megaman! According to this, you're within about ten seconds of being deleted by fire damage!" Megaman's head shot up.

"Oh, that's bad. Uhh... Oh! FireArm!" Megaman quickly formed the buster and shot a continuous stream of flames at the ground ahead of him. He held it, and continued to hold it until he fell out of whatever he had been in.

"Log out, Megaman." Megaman did just that, and returned to the PET. "We're going to have to get Dad to check you out... again..."

"Hold on a second. Give me a minute to look over the logs." Megaman opened some boxes and studied them. "I think I've got this one figured out. Now, do you want the short version or the long version?"

"The short version." Lan replied.

"Okay... The short version. Give me a chip and I'll get strong. Do you want the long version now?"

"Uhh... Sure."

"Do you remember the data Samus gave us?"

"Oh, yeah... I remember."

"Well, when I was draining my power back from Dat, all I got was the StyleChange back. Anyway, StyleChange wouldn't have activated either because of the conflict with Form Change. Earlier, I looked over the data Samus gave us. I didn't get it then, but it activates when I undergo extreme exposure to certain elements. When that data activated, StyleChange activated, and Form Change with it. That caused all three of the programs to fuse, creating what I call the FormStyler. What I was just using was a cross between HeatGuts and Hub Form, creating the ToughBlaze FormStyle."

"Wow... You found all that out in that time? So, how does it activate?"

"It appears to activate now when a large amount of elemental energy is consumed. So, what has to happen is you have to send me an elemental chip, and depending on the power of the chip, I'll have to sacrifice a certain amount of health. It'll also activate when I'm exposed to a large amount of elemental energy, like I was today. I call this way of activating it EL Overload."

"Impressive, Megaman." Unknown to him, Roll had snuck in his PET and was listening from behind him. Megaman jumped.

"Roll! Don't do that to me!" Roll giggled. "Anyway, I have to warn you that if I don't use the elemental energy that will constantly be produced, I will die of either burning up, drowning, being electrified, or by turning to dust. Not only that, but I can use that same energy to boost a chip's power or duration, as long as it's the same element I am. If I use all of the energy before it builds up again, however, I will fall out of the FormStyle. It looks like there's also some sort of safety mechanism to pull me out of FormStyle if I've been in it for a certain amount of time, but I'm not sure what it is." Megaman inhaled and exhaled. "There. That's all you need to know about the FormStyler."

"That's a lot of information." Maylu said. "Did you get all that, Lan?" There was no response. "Lan?" Then Maylu heard a faint noise. She stood up and smacked the sleeping Lan. "I asked you if you got all of that!" Lan looked up at Maylu groggily.

"All of...?"

"All of Megaman's information on the FormStyler?"

"Oh, yeah. I got the short version, anyway." Maylu groaned as Lan laughed. "I'm totally joking, Maylu. I got it."

"You little...!" Lan jumped out of his chair and proceeded to run around his room with an angry Maylu chasing him. Eventually, they both collapsed on his bed, laughing.

"That was fun." Lan said. He stopped laughing and began to play with Maylu's hair. Maylu stopped laughing as well and tensed up, but didn't pull away. "Your hair is so soft..." Lan whispered. Maylu turned red and smiled.

"Thanks." In response, Lan buried his face in Maylu's neck and nuzzled softly. Maylu turned an even brighter red as she began to play with his hair. Lan wrapped his arms around Maylu and pulled her close, still nuzzling her neck. She responded by resting her head on his. Lan paused for a moment and looked up at Maylu.

"Maylu..." Lan felt a rushing heat to his face in anticipation of what he was going to do. Then Lan quickly pressed his lips to Maylu's. Maylu was stunned for a moment, but then she returned the kiss. The two felt like they were joined, like they hadn't been complete without the other until that very moment. After about a minute, they broke the kiss, and Lan pulled Maylu as close as he could get her, holding her tight.

"So, you've finally grown up, Lan." Megaman mused from the PET. He knew Lan probably would yell at him for watching, but he didn't really care. Suddenly, two hands covered his eyes and a voice spoke in his ear.

"Guess who!" Megaman twisted around to face the assailant and wrapped his arms around her, giving her a small squeeze. She squealed.

"Hi, Roll."

"Hi, Megaman. How's life?"

"Could be better." Roll scowled.

"Why's that?"

"Well, NetNavis trying to kill me is definitely not a plus." Roll smiled and nodded.

"Makes sense. Maybe you should hide or something."

"That doesn't work. I end up having to go out for something, and I never fail to end up fighting something. I wonder if it's the cologne I wear..." Roll laughed.

"You don't wear cologne." Megaman raised his eyebrows.

"How do you know?" Roll laughed again.

"You're so funny, Megaman." Roll gently laid her head on his chest. Megaman responded by putting his head on hers and putting an arm around her shoulder. Roll giggled. "I can hear your heartbeat."

"Heartbeat?" Roll nodded. Heartbeat? Navis shouldn't have heartbeats... but Roll doesn't need to know that. I'll just let her enjoy it. I wonder... is she hallucinating or something? No, that can't be...

"Megaman? Something wrong?" Roll was looking up at Megaman with a concerned look. He realized his expression had gone from a smile to a frown.

"No, no. Nothing." Megaman smiled again, which caused Roll to smile too.

"Good." She rested her head on his chest again, and the two stood there, enjoying each other's company.

"I don't really need to ask, but I guess this makes us a couple now, huh?" Lan asked. Maylu nodded.

"Hey, Lan... I'd kinda like to keep this a secret. If my parents find out I have a boyfriend, they'll freak. Right now, they don't suspect anything, since we've been friends for so long, but..." Lan put a finger on Maylu's lips.

"Done. I'll treat you just like I used to unless we're alone." Maylu nodded again.

"Sounds good." Just then, Lan heard a voice downstairs. His head shot up.

"Dad? Come on, Maylu, let's go!" Lan grabbed his PET and hurried downstairs, with Maylu trailing him.

"Just like always... Lan, sometimes I wonder if you have... Oh, never mind." Maylu mused to herself. "Maybe that's why I like you so much."


	29. Furious Blades

**PEJP Bengtzone: **You don't need to review telling me you sent a PM. I get all the messages on my email.

**Hakuryuken: **Hmm... I didn't think about Bass in all of this. He'd probably just copy it with the GetAbility program. Oh, right, Shademan. No, he's not going to be a member of GUILT. Well, they don't know where Dat is, or they'd probably go get them. Not only that, they're busy with other things. Do you mean that Roll just got one by syncing with Maylu? You're actually very close to the real reason Megaman has a heartbeat. Maylu sort of gives Lan a hand in this chapter, and I don't think Megaman can get any stronger (or can he?)

**KK the Prophet: **Envy's weakness makes sense, although Lust's is a bit of a stretch. Something Envy wants, but can't have. Are you thinking of what I'm thinking of? Why don't you like MegaxRoll? Who would you rather see Megaman/Roll with? It's so epic that you're using your Wii. Last time I used it to read fanfics, I found two really cool ones. Then my dad put Parental Controls on the internet. :`(

**Queen Sunstar: **Thank you! I'd appreciate it if you said more than 'good chapter,' but if you can't think of anything else to say, that's fine.

**

* * *

**

**CHAPTER 29 : Furious Blades**

"Hey, Dad. What's up?" Lan asked when he got downstairs. Dr. Hikari looked up.

"The ceiling. Beyond that, the sky, and then space. I think if you go a little to the right, Mars is there..." Both guys then started laughing as Maylu came downstairs.

"What'd I miss?" Maylu asked.

"Just a corny joke." Maylu nodded knowingly. Lan turned back to Dr. Hikari. "So, what brings you home so early?"

"What, a dad can't come home without a reason?" Lan grinned.

"Nope!" All three began to laugh.

"Well, I developed a new thingy, and I was hoping Megaman could try it out."

"A new thingy? What kind of new thingy? Doesn't Megaman get enough thingies?" Dr. Hikari chuckled.

"Yes, I suppose. But this one's special. It allows Navis to come into the real world, without any other form of Dimensional Area or simulation."

"Wow! That's awesome!" Lan exclaimed. Maylu agreed.

"The thing is, it has to stay at the lab, so you two will have to come with me."

"Both of us?" Maylu inquired.

"Yeah, might as well have both of you try it out." Lan took his PET out.

"How does that sound to you--" Lan was cut off when he saw Megaman and Roll standing there. He snickered. "Megaman..." Megaman looked up to see Lan, and blushed.

"Oh... Hi..." Roll yelped and hid, her face a bright red.

"Did you hear that, Megaman?" Megaman nodded.

"Sounds fine to me. How about you, Roll?"

"Fine..." Roll didn't come out from wherever she was hiding.

"Okay, then. Let's go to SciLab!" Lan said. "By the way, Roll, you might want to go back to your PET." Roll said nothing in response. Lan chuckled as they walked out the door.

--------------

Lan, Maylu, and Dr. Hikari walked into a room that looked like a huge stadium. There were multiple electrodes along the domed ceiling, and various computer terminals around the walls. Dr. Hikari walked over to one of them.

"Lan, Maylu, please jack-in here." Dr. Hikari pointed to a jack-in port on one of the nearby computers. The teens did so, and returned to Dr. Hikari for their next instructions. "Now, I'll do the rest. You two just have to wait outside.

"But, Dad, I want to see Megaman when he gets here!" Dr. Hikari chuckled.

"You're acting like a little kid, Lan."

"Please?" Lan made puppy-dog eyes and stuck his lip out. Maylu was trying to hold in immense amounts of laughter, and actually doing pretty well. Dr. Hikari sighed.

"Fine, fine. It should be okay."

"Yay! Dad, you're the best!" Lan gave his dad a hug. "Can Maylu stay too?" Dr. Hikari sighed again.

"Might as well. Okay, everything in here is done. I have to go out to the other computer now, but I'll be right through that window." Dr. Hikari pointed to a window on the other side of the room. Lan nodded.

"Got it." Dr. Hikari began to make his way over there. Lan could barely contain his excitement. When Dr. Hikari was out of sight, he gave Maylu a big hug.

"Lan, you're acting childish." Maylu was trying to hold back a smile.

"I know it!" Lan had a huge grin on his face. Maylu couldn't help smiling at the boy's antics. Meanwhile, Megaman and Roll were visiting.

"Here, Megaman, I made this for you." Roll blushed as she handed him a drawing. It was of Megaman and Roll doing various random things, but the part that stood out most was that the NaviMarks on both Navis were the same: half Roll's and half Megaman's. Megaman gave Roll a hug.

"I love it! Lan, look at what Roll drew!" Megaman showed the picture to Lan.

"Wow, very impressive." Something was nagging Lan at the back of his mind, though. Where have I seen that NaviMark before? Suddenly, Dr. Hikari's voice came through on a loudspeaker.

"Ready?"

"Yeah!" Lan and Maylu replied together.

"Here goes... Program ignition in 10... 9... 8... 7... 6... 5... 4... 3... 2... 1... Ignition..." Lights began to flicker around them before shorting out altogether. "Ignition failed. Lan, could you have Megaman check on the primary core for me?" Lan nodded and looked at his PET.

"Megaman, did you hear that? Head to the primary core."

"Will do, Lan!" Within a few minutes, he arrived. "Looks normal..." Megaman said as he walked around the core. Suddenly, he was surrounded by hundreds of NormalNavis. "What? Lan! Help me out here!"

"Tornado, BattleChip in!" Megaman's hand turned into a fan, and he created a tornado that damaged many of the enemies. Suddenly, a siren went off.

"Intruder alert! Intruder progressing to Section B-26, Block C-8F."

"Section B-26, Block C-8F...? Ah! That's where the transporter is! Roll! Get down there and stop him at all costs!" Roll complied and hurried to the mentioned area. When she arrived, she saw a peculiar Navi. He was tall and wiry, with two blades extending from his elbows. Two swords hung from his belt, and two katanas were strapped to his back. He had a purple-green bodysuit and a purple helmet with three fins. His NaviMark, located on his chest, was six blades crashing together.

"Stop!" The unknown Navi turned to face Roll.

"So, someone has come to stop me. I didn't expect such a weak-looking Navi, though. Do they underestimate my strength?"

"Who're you calling weak!?"

"I'm sorry. Where are my manners? I am Blademan. I too, work for GUILT, under Lady Wrath. I wish to access the transporter so that I can wreak general havoc on the world." Roll nodded sarcastically.

"And you think I'm going to let you?" Blademan's face hardened.

"Yes." He unsheathed his two swords and dashed at Roll.

"Sword! WideSword! BattleChips in! Double download!" Roll countered the attack with two swords of her own, then began her offensive.

"Do you think you can drive me off with those? Split Blade!" Blademan's swords split through the middle, causing each weapon to become two attached to the same hilt.

"LongSword! BattleChip in! Program Advance!" Roll's weapons fused as Blademan shielded himself from the light.

"LifeSword!" Roll began her attack again, only to be matched by Blademan's dual swords. Roll growled. "Why can't I drive him back?" Blademan chuckled.

"Because I am such a better swordsman than you. Watch." Blademan jumped back and sheathed his two swords. "Sword!" Blademan's left hand turned into the default chip, and he charged. Roll brought her blade down on his, and he blocked it before rolling and stabbing Roll. She yelped, but stayed standing.

"He's beating me with a Sword!" Roll exclaimed.

"Here's a little tip: Never, ever, fight me sword to sword." Blademan slashed upward, breaking Roll's LifeSword and knocking her back. He walked over, prepared to deliver the final blow.

"AirHockey3!" Roll launched a round disc at him, shattering his weapon and one of the blades on his arms. Blademan shouted, but then composed himself. He quickly unsheathed the two swords again and used them to pin Roll to the ground.

"You failed, young Navi." Blademan jumped out of range and proceeded to the transporter.

"Lan! Maylu! Get out of there!" Roll yelled. Both teens ran to the nearest door, but it was locked.

"Lan, I can't unlock the doors. Megaman will have to do it." Dr. Hikari said over the intercom.

"Megaman, can you get to the core's control panel?"

"Yeah, just hold on a second." Megaman blasted a few more Navis before running to it.

"Barrier, Barrier100, Barrier200, HolyPanel! BattleChips in! Quadruple download, Program Advance!" The holy shield appeared around Megaman as he began the process to unlock the doors. Suddenly, a Navi began to materialize in the room. Lan swallowed. "Hurry, Megaman!"

"I'm trying!"

"Hello, Lan Hikari." Blademan had finished materializing and was now walking towards him. Lan nudged Maylu.

"Move away from here." He whispered. Maylu began to slowly edge away from Lan's location.

"Do you remember Lady Wrath, Hikari? She sent me to kill you." Blademan was oblivious to everything else, his sole focus on Lan.

"Megaman! Hurry!" As Lan said that, Blademan lunged for Lan. Lan ducked and rolled out of his way, causing him to hit the wall. Blademan stood up and rubbed his head.

"Very clever, Hikari, but it won't work again."

"Done!" Megaman exclaimed. Right then, the shield broke and Megaman jumped to safety. Maylu was right near a door and got out right away, but Lan was much father away. He turned and ran as fast as he could, but Blademan caught up to him.

"You can't get away. Minions, lock the doors!" One of the NormalNavis tapped a few keys at the core, and the doors locked again.

"No!" Megaman dived into the army of Navis and began to throw them away from the core. Blademan was slashing at Lan, scoring hits every few strikes. This continued for a little bit, until Lan was very bloody with various cuts.

"Megaman... Please. Help me." Right then, both Megaman and Lan began to glow.

"What is this?" Blademan exclaimed. Lan looked at his glowing hands.

"Ahh... The True Limit." Lan looked up. "Megaman, let's rock!" Lan dashed to Blademan and grabbed him in a bear hug, then lifted him up and fell on him backwards.

"So, your Navi has come to help you. I can still defeat you easily!" Lan pulled out his PET and slotted some chips into it.

"Megaman, use these wisely! I doubt you'll get any more!" Lan put the PET away as he dodged another slash.

"Shotgun!" Megaman used one of the chips Lan gave him to delete a decent amount of the attacking Navis, but there were still many, many more.

"Wave Slash!" Blademan slashed at Lan with one of his katanas, causing a shockwave to fly at Lan. The teen ducked under the shockwave and ran towards Blademan again, but faster than last time. Lan jumped up when he was right in front of Blademan and delivered a stunning uppercut to Blademan's jaw. He was knocked back, but recovered quickly. "Fine. I'll finish you in one shot! Katana's Wrath!" Blademan unsheathed the other katana and ran to Lan, performing various stabs and slashes as Lan was driven back. By the time the attack was over, Lan had many wounds of varying intensity. Megaman had used three more chips and deleted about half of the enemy Navis as well.

"I guess this is the end..." Lan whispered. Suddenly, the light surrounding Megaman and Lan's bodies intensified. He felt power surge into him from the electricity of the building, from the scientists inside the building, and even from Blademan. "Could this be?" Lan smirked. "Megaman! You've got one chip left! Wanna finish this?"

"Absolutly, Lan. LongBlade!" Megaman's fist formed the sword, as did Lan's.

"A LongBlade? How?" Blademan exclaimed.

"This is a place that data from Navis can exist, no? Then logically, if I am perfectly synced with my Navi, I can have his weapons. This is what happens when you surpass a True Limit!" Lan dashed to Blademan with incredible speed and began to drive him back. The initial shock of the abnormal weapon had worn off, and Blademan began to block the attacks. He smirked.

"Here's a tip: Never, ever, fight me sword to sword." Blademan took one of his katanas and broke Lan's LongBlade, causing Megaman's to shatter as well. "Game over, Hikari. You lost your last life." Lan crossed his arms in an X-shape as he prepared for the final blow.

_So, this is what the pictures I saw when I was helping Maylu restore Roll meant. The first picture was of the time I got Megaman, the second of when Maylu got Roll, both in the past. Then there was FusionStyle Roll, in the present. Then, the NaviMark of both Megaman, and Roll, which was on the drawing Roll gave Megaman, and the picture of blackness, both in the future. Now I understand..._ "I'm sorry, Megaman." At that moment, Blademan's katana came down on Lan. At the same time, right before the blade impacted Lan, the glow from both his body and Megaman's disappeared. Right as the katana sliced through Lan's arms, Megaman screamed a bloodcurdling cry, and a black aura appeared around him. He proceeded to delete every one of the opposing Navis before falling to the ground. Lan fell to the ground at the same time Megaman did, and Blademan laughed. Then, he disappeared, and the doors unlocked. Maylu rushed in.

"Lan!" Tears were streaming down her face as she bent over Lan. Lan looked over at her, pain evident in his eyes.

"Maylu... I'm sorry. I couldn't protect myself. I could barely protect you. Megaman is dying, the darkness that's been building inside of him finally taking over. It really is over. Be strong... for me. Say goodbye... to everyone." With those last words, Lan's head fell to the ground, and Megaman screamed one last time before disappearing forever. Maylu fell over onto Lan, sobbing bitterly. Dr. Hikari ran into the room and kneeled down, inspecting Lan's pulse.

"Don't bother, Dr. Hikari. Lan's dead, and so is Megaman. It's all over. GUILT won."


	30. Aftermath

**Hakuryuken: **Who cares if fanboys come after me? Let them come! I don't know if you noticed, but Megaman died too.

**frankcarlo mills (a nerd): **Yeah, I realized I haven't been using DoubleSoul/TripleSoul recently. Too bad Megaman's dead now. I don't want to focus on Lan and Megaman too much, because too many fics do. Not many focus on Roll/Maylu.

**Sam Hikari: **Yeah... Wait, Netto and Saito plushies? Where did you get those?

**Queen Sunstar: **Chaud and Protoman are somewhere. Not here, obviously. (Working on Form Change?) Anyway, this is less then two months. Don't cry...

**KK the Prophet: **Why does no one like cliffhangers? Ah, I see your following. I like the MM/Roll pairing because I think they look good together. I actually am not a fan of MM/Medi, although I've never seen Stream/Beast/+, so what do I know. I never played the Classic games, either. RollxBass is acceptable... I doubt I'd write it though. Either Roll would become a loner like Bass, or Bass would become a softie. I'd think Roll would become a loner, and that's not something I really like. Done right, though, RollxBass could be really cool. BTW, Shadowman and Needleman is not something I even wanted to have in my head! Ew, ew, ew, ew...

**PEJP Bengtzone: **Why would you think that Lan would come back? He's dead. They're both dead. I'm sorry.

**

* * *

**

**CHAPTER 30 : Aftermath**

"Lan's dead, and so is Megaman. It's all over. GUILT won." As Dr. Hikari helped Maylu up, the paramedics arrived and surveyed the damage. The lead paramedic shook his head.

"I'm sorry."

"You don't have to apologize." Maylu said. "You couldn't have done anything to save him, even if you were right there when he was injured."

"And why is that?"

"Because he was willing to die. Him and his Navi both were ready to die to protect us." By 'us,' Maylu meant her and Roll, but everybody thought Maylu was talking about herself and Dr. Hikari. "Anyway, he willingly gave his life. There was nothing you could have done to save him." The lead paramedic shrugged.

"Then we'll be going. Come on, guys." The paramedics filed out until Dr. Hikari and Maylu were alone again. Maylu sighed.

"Telling Roll is going to be so hard..." Maylu reached for her PET, but was interrupted by a voice.

"I already know." Maylu unsheathed her PET and looked at the screen. Right there was a bloody Roll. "Blademan returned for me. I only survived by playing dead. He was bragging the whole time he was attacking me."

"I'm so sorry, Roll." Maylu said. Dr. Hikari hoisted Lan's body onto his shoulder and picked up his two severed arms.

"Come on. Let's go home."

--------------

During the next few weeks, ACDC Town as a whole had become gloomier. Even the people who had never met Lan were sad. It was as if some sort of virus had descended on the small town, sucking the life out of everyone. The Hikari family had a grand funeral service, and most of the town came. Many people sung or played songs, and Maylu even wrote one of her own to play. It told the story of Lan's life, up to the final minute. Lan was buried in the cemetery to the north of town, and Dr. Hikari took Megaman's PET back to SciLab to try to recover Megaman. Maylu carried out Lan's last wish and said goodbye to all of his friends. She even managed to send a message to Duo, although she wasn't sure he would ever get it. Lan's school was one of the most depressing places in the city, second only to Maylu's house and the Hikari residence. Everyone tried to get used to life without the cheery teen, but nothing really returned to normal. Everyone was just going through the motions. Maylu rarely came out of her room, except to go to school. One day, she arrived at school with solid black hair. At some point during these weeks, IPC released the Form Change program, but it did little to cheer up the gloomy residents.

"Roll? I miss him." Maylu was in her room, as usual, fingering a knife. It was really a beautiful knife. It was adorned with pictures of wolves, Maylu's favorite animal.

"Yeah, I know how you feel." Roll never came out of her PET anymore, although her friends came to visit sometimes. They usually left quickly, though, since Roll would only respond to direct questions and never acknowledged presence of anyone other than Maylu. "Everyone misses him, Maylu."

"But it was so soon... No one should die that young. Especially a hero like him." Maylu rolled up her sleeve part way to reveal a couple scars on her wrist. Before Lan died, Roll would have objected to what Maylu was about to do, and even would have forced her to stop, but she understood. This was the only pain Maylu could control, and it stopped the pain in her heart, at least for a little bit. Maylu lightly ran the blade across her wrist as she closed her eyes. Then, with a quick motion, a line of red appeared on her wrist. She winced, returned her sleeve to its normal place and grabbed her PET. "Come on, Roll. We're going to see him."

"Maylu, aren't you going to cover the wound?"

"No. It hurts more this way." Roll shrugged.

"Suit yourself." As Maylu walked to the graveyard, she could feel the demon hanging over the city, absorbing everyone's will to live. The sun was shining obiviously through all of this. She couldn't feel the sun's warmth, though. The only thing still keeping her alive was Lan's last words. She murmured them to herself as she approached his grave.

"Be strong." Maylu laughed coldly as she kneeled down in front of the headstone. "Tell me, Lan. How am I supposed to do that when you, the only person I ever trusted, has left me? Look." She showed her still bleeding wrist to the headstone. "This is what I've become. Do you see this?" Maylu grabbed a strand of her hair and shook it at the stone. "This is the state of my soul. As black as the midnight sun." Maylu read the words on the headstone. "Here lies the protector of ACDC, and the world." Then she curled up on the cold ground and began to cry. "He died protecting me." She picked up a piece of nearby charcoal and crossed out 'ACDC, and the world.' In its place, she wrote 'me' and curled back up. There she laid, cold and crying, for about an hour. Then she got up and looked at her PET. Roll was crying in a corner of the small gadget.

"Maylu..." Roll stopped crying, but didn't turn around. "I want to join him."

"What do you mean, Roll?"

"Exactly what I said. I want to die, if just to be with Megaman." Maylu shook her head.

"That won't help, Roll." I feel sorry for her. I have Lan's last words keeping me alive, but she has nothing.

"Blademan's words keep echoing in my mind. He told me I was useless, said that I was too weak to stop Lan and Megaman from dying. I feel the guilt for their deaths."

"Don't, Roll. We're going to prove to him, and to all of GUILT, that we're stronger then them. It wasn't your fault they died." Maylu began to walk home. "Roll, are you ready for a fight?" Roll sniffed.

"With who?" Maylu smiled a cold smile.

"GUILT." Roll looked up, a cold smile on her face as well.

"You're on. I'm going to show them what happens when they screw with me!"

"We both are, Roll. But, first, we're going to need better chips." Maylu changed direction and walked to Higsby's chip shop and bought a bunch of new, stronger BattleChips.

"Didn't Chaud send us an email about getting the new version of Form Change instead of the Beta?" Roll asked.

"Yeah. What were the benefits, again?" Roll pulled up the email.

"Let's see... increased power and abilities, and glitch fixes."

"Roll, do a search. Find out what those fixed glitches will be." Roll opened another box and began to read through it as Maylu headed toward her house.

"I don't see any hard evidence, just rumors. But the rumors from the other beta testers say that sometimes the beta Form Change can overload and cause the Navi to berserk. Another rumor says the Navi can actually download opponent data into itself, which can be harmful if fighting a corrupted or dark Navi. This last report says that in extreme cases, a Form Change can be triggered during a Form Change, causing a hyper-powered Navi with no reason. Kind of like... the original... PerfectSyncro Megaman." Roll's voice became choppy saying this last part.

"It's your call, Roll. You can have the power, or you can take the glitches." Roll mulled this over for a moment.

"Normally, I'd take the safe route, but these aren't 'normal' times. I'm fine with the glitches. As I said, I don't care if I die." Maylu nodded.

"Then let's go find GUILT's headquarters." In a few minutes, Maylu arrived at her house and went straight to her PC. "Jack-in, Roll. Power up." Maylu barely heard herself say the words, and certainly didn't think about saying them until afterwards. "That's something else Lan changed."

--------FLASHBACK--------

"Jack-in! Megaman! Power up!" An 11-year-old Lan was beginning a battle with his long time rival, Dex.

"Why do you say that?" Maylu asked.

"Say what?" Lan didn't look up as he focused on the battle.

"Jack-in, Megaman, power up. You didn't say it before." Lan shrugged.

"It's just something I do. Like a lucky charm. It's not a special keyword to make Megaman stronger, but it sure seems that way."

"Huh. Would you mind if I said it?" Lan chuckled.

"Nope. Go ahead." Lan had no idea that those words actually did make the Navi stronger by strengthening the bond with the Navi. He never would find out.

------END FLASHBACK------

"He changed so many lives. Really, he was the life to this town. No one teenager could be more influential." Thinking about Lan caused the pain in her heart to come back.

"Maylu?" Maylu snapped out of her remeniciant state.

"Look on the BBSes, do searches, whatever. Just find GUILT's base. See if you can pick some of these up on the black market, too." Maylu pulled up a window showing some data. Roll nodded.

"Got it." As Roll left, Maylu pulled up a window with lines of code displayed on it. As she began to work, she smiled another cold smile.

"Lan taught me to program, too. Before he died, he told me I had almost surpassed him. If I remember correctly, he told me he was either going to work for SciLabs as a Navi programmer or as a Navi researcher." Maylu typed a few more lines of code. "Let's see if this works." She clicked a few icons and watched the readout. "Huh, not what I wanted." She went back to typing.

"Maylu!" Maylu minimized the window she was working on and saw Roll on the display.

"Yes?"

"I got the data you wanted." Roll opened a transfer protocol and sent the data to Maylu.

"Hold on. Keep these." Maylu sent back some of the data. Roll nodded.

"Right. I'll go back to searching." The window displaying Roll disappeared, and Maylu went back to her code.

"Now, with these..."

--------------

Three days passed, and neither girl succeeded in their goal. Both felt they were getting close, though. Maylu had skipped school the last three days, and Yai had come to deliver her homework. Even though Maylu was far from active, Yai could detect a hint of activity anyway. This only caused her to want to know more, which Maylu wouldn't tell her. Eventually, Yai stamped away, frustrated and defeated. Maylu waited until she heard the door slam.

"Good, she's gone." Maylu pulled up all the things she was working on and began to type before clicking a few icons. She watched the display, and a smile graced her face. "Finally. They all work perfectly. It's really too bad they're all illegal." Just as she loaded the data onto BattleChips, Roll arrived.

"Maylu, I think I found it. It's deep in the UnderNet, so deep that I'll need a special cloak to protect myself from the darkness." Maylu nodded.

"And, did you get the cloak?" Roll shook her head.

"But I did get the blueprints. I think you could assemble it from these." Roll transferred the data to Maylu's computer. Maylu opened a window and read through it.

"Indeed." Maylu clicked on a few icons and typed for a minute before clicking on another icon. "Yup, this should work." She downloaded the data onto a BattleChip. "Darkness Cloak, in! Download!" As she inserted the chip, a dark energy surrounded Roll, changing her primary color to black. She also gained a cloak and black eyeshadow. Roll smirked.

"Let's go."

--------------

"Maylu, I can't get in." A heavy steel door was blocking the only entrance to the base, and Roll couldn't find a way to unlock it.

"Fine, then. We'll bust the door open."

"With what? None of the chips we bought will even come close to damaging that thing."

"This isn't something I bought. Omega Chaos, CustomChip in! Download!" Maylu quickly inserted a chip with a yellow border as Roll began to form glowing orbs in her hands.

"What is this, Maylu?"

"Just watch. The first time is automatic." Roll put her hands together, combining the two balls as they continued to grow. When the new orb was about twice the size of her head, she launched it at the door. The instant it hit, the door evaporated silently and the orb disappeared. Roll stood in shock before turning to Maylu with a fierce expression.

"Okay, what the hell was that?" Maylu grinned.

"That's what I've been working on the last week. New BattleChips. That data you got off the black market was to amplify the chips' power." Roll slowly nodded, and her expression softened slightly. "Their power far surpasses any GigaChip out there."

"Okay, then. I'm going in." Roll walked into the gaping darkness at the mouth of the structure.

--------------

"Who is that Navi? She looks familiar, but she smells so much different. She almost looks like the Navi Roll, except Roll had a horrible smell of friendship and loyalty. This Navi smells of... Anger. Hate. Loneliness. My kind of Navi."


	31. Into the Belly of the Beast

**Queen Sunstar: **Because you're a necromancer? I dunno.

**KK the Prophet: **Indeed. I'm definitely going to get mixed responses about that. I actually think it's a bad idea, personally, but it shows what kind of state Maylu's in. Another fic that's following a similar path is flashgunner's Love Knows No Limit. It's quite good.

**Hakuryuken: **They can yell 'teme no bakayaro' at me (Sorry, PEJP). Anyway, you have a good question. What will Bass do? Read and find out!

**ngrey651: **The way you wrote your review, it sounded like you said both Lan and Maylu died. Could you explain what you meant by 'AND two of your biggest characters in your story to focus on...Roll and Maylu?' Anyway, it's been a secret until now, but this story more or less chronicles my life, although to a higher extent. Essentially, whatever I'm feeling I write about, and I was feeling really sad then, so I tried to get all of my readers to feel sad too. Do you think Roll could really turn evil? Do you think I'd let that happen (yes)? Joking, joking. I'm not worried about my reviews getting 'lower,' whatever that means. If people just tell me what they think of the chapter, I'll be happy.

**PEJP Bengtzone: **I totally forgot about Patch! Crap! I do support his existence, but I totally forgot about him when I wrote that chapter. An impersonation of supreme hatred, you say? Uh huh. Anyway, I asked my friend about your Japanese, and he said it was 'You dog' in really bad grammar. Was that what you were going for?

I'm sorry about the erractic updating, I've been grounded for the last week and a half. Go figure.

**

* * *

**

**CHAPTER 31 : Into the Belly of the Beast**

"Who is that Navi? She looks familiar, but she smells so much different. She almost looks like the Roll, except Roll had a smell of friendship and loyalty. This Navi smells of... Anger. Hate. Loneliness. My kind of Navi." A cloaked Navi jumped down from a cliff and entered the building. "Not only that, but that BattleChip... It was also filled with loneliness."

--------------

"Maylu? What's our primary goal here?" Roll was creeping through various tunnels trying to avoid tripping any sensors. She was sure she tripped one or two, but no alarm went off.

"General destruction. The rest of the data from the black market was half of a powerful bomb. The primary goal is to lay that data here," Maylu sent Roll some coordinates, "and terminate any opposition. Then I'll send you some other data, just insert it into the black market data." Roll nodded.

"Understood, Maylu-sama."

"Maylu-sama? What's with the -sama all of a sudden, Roll?" Roll shrugged.

"Felt appropriate." Maylu shrugged.

"Suit yourself." Roll continued through the corridors, going deeper and deeper until she reached the bottom floor. Down here, the darkness was almost too much to bear, even with the cloak. Not only that, it smelled like mushrooms. Roll began to turn down another tunnel, but she was stopped by a voice.

"Stop." The voice was calm, yet commanding. Roll recognized it immediately.

"Bass!" She turned around to face the lone Navi.

"Who are you? How do you know my voice?" Bass was startled. He had spoke to few, and knew he never spoke to a Navi like this.

"I'm Roll!" Bass's expression shifted to a puzzled one.

"What happened to you, Roll? Why are you filled with hate?" Roll's expression hardened.

"Have you met the Navi Blademan recently?" Roll asked. "He's tall and thin and green and purple." Bass nodded.

"What about him?"

"He killed Lan, and at the same time, Megaman was deleted. I'm here for revenge. Maylu too."

"Killed Lan? How?"

"He hijacked a system for letting Navis into the real world, and killed Lan from there. Megaman died at the same time, after the years of hate inside his body comsume him." Bass hung his head for a moment.

"He promised me. He told me I would be the one to defeat him!" Bass's head snapped back up with blazing eyes. "How could he let the hate consume him so easily?!"

"He really couldn't do anything by himself. I think that right before Lan died, he broke some form of link with Megaman, making it so that Megaman couldn't feel the pain of having his arms cut off. Without Lan there to help him, and with about a hundred Navis after him, the hate forced its way up and took control. To his dying breath, he tried to keep the hate down, but he couldn't do it by himself. I don't think any of us could understand the turmoil both of them were in. All the things they've lost, all the things they've done... they've probably killed others, however indirectly. Each one held the other in check." As Roll spoke, the fire in Bass's eyes died. Roll paused to let Bass speak.

"...Were you there?"

"...No. Blademan pinned me down with his swords." The fire returned to Bass's eyes.

"Then how do you know?" Bass took a step forward. "Tell me, or I'll kill you." Roll stepped back and put her hands up.

"Hold on." Roll paused. "I really don't know how I know. It's like a little voice was telling me what Megaman and Lan were saying, and then it went out when they died."

"...That sounds like telepathy." Bass mumbled.

"What?" Bass returned his attention to Roll.

"Nothing. Come on, we'll take GUILT on together."

"Together?" Roll asked.

"Of course. I want my revenge, too. They forced Megaman to break his promise. I'll split their skulls for that!"

"Okay, then. Maylu has some bomb data she wants me to place. You can create a diversion so that I can set it without trouble. The bomb should be set to blow in about five minutes, so get out before fifteen have passed." Bass nodded.

"Understood." Bass floated back up the stairs and Roll continued to the place where she was going to set the bomb. In a few minutes, Roll heard faint alarms from the upper levels. She smiled. "Bass is quick, as always. Ah, here it is." Roll materialized some data and placed it on the wall. "Now, Maylu."

"BombData!" Maylu slotted a chip, and more data materialized on top of the data that was already there. Roll tapped some buttons and set the timer to ten minutes.

"I can't let you do that." A dark voice spoke from behind Roll. "It's a shame. You look so... tasty." Roll turned around to see a very skinny Navi. In the twilight, she couldn't make out his features very well, but she could tell he looked like skin and bones, if Navis had those. "I am Gluttony. I had another name, once, but it has bene so long down here... and I am so hungry..." Gluttony looked at Roll with a dark twinkle in his eye.

"BigApple, BattleChip in! Download!" A large apple materialized in Roll's hands, and Gluttony's mouth fell open. "Cannon, BattleChip in!" A Cannon formed over the apple and Roll shot it down the corridor. Gluttony began to chase after it, and Roll ran towards the exit. Out of the corner of her eye, Roll saw Gluttony running on all fours after her.

"He's quick. Maylu, some help?"

"Dash, BattleChip in!" A Condor appeared, and Roll jumped on it, dashing ahead of Gluttony. Roll looked back, and to her surprise, Gluttony was still gaining. "AreaSteal, BattleChip in!" Roll felt the familiar rush of teleporting, and used the chip to dash further ahead. But when she looked back, Gluttony was right there, still gaining. He was right behind her now. He lunged for her neck. "Barrier, BattleChip in!" Suddenly, Gluttony hit an invisible shield and was thrown to the ground. He rolled a few times before getting up and chasing Roll again.

"Maylu! I'm near the exit, but at this rate he'll get to me before I get there!" Maylu paused for a second.

"Blind, BattleChip in!" Roll flashed a bright light, which was amplified by the dark surroundings. Gluttony screamed and began crashing into the walls, his head writhing. But still, he chased Roll.

"Do you think that will help you? I may not be able to see, but I can still smell you." Gluttony's voice rang out from behind Roll.

"Spice3, BattleChip in! Download!" A mushroom appeared behind Roll and began throwing spores behind her. When Roll turned a corner, the mushroom went the other way, and Gluttony followed it.

"Great thinking, Maylu! He's gone!" Seconds later, though, Gluttony came racing around a corner, tongue hanging out of his mouth.

"Thanks for the snack!" Gluttony yelled. Roll glanced ahead.

"Maylu! The exit's just over there!"

"Here goes! Terraforming, CustomChip in! Download!" Roll's eyes began to glow yellow as spikes burst up in Gluttony's way. He dodged most of them, but some stabbed him anyway.

"Hrrraggh!" Roll yelled as she pulled her hands upward and clenched them. Suddenly, the floor right behind Roll burst up, blocking the tunnel and catching Gluttony in a crevice. Roll's eyes turned back to normal as she dashed up the stairs to the main floor. Bass was there, waiting for her. He began to follow her, matching her pace.

"What took you so long?" He asked.

"One of GUILT's members attacked me. Gluttony, I think it was." Bass nodded.

"I took care of the others in the building, but I didn't find Blademan." Roll nodded.

"If we get seperated, the bomb will go off in exactly four and a half minutes. Be out by then, and at least fifty meters away." Bass raised an eyebrow.

"That strong?" Roll nodded.

"I want them all to die."

"Stop there." Roll dashed past the figure commanding them to stop, but then circled around to face him. Bass followed.

"Blademan." The purple Navi chuckled.

"Lady Wrath knew you'd come. She sent me here to defeat you, once and for all."

"As if." Bass said. "Hell's Rolling!" Bass raised his hand into the air and called a swarm of rotating blades down on Blademan. Blademan jumped over all of them and pulled out his twin swords. Roll dashed in front of Bass with a LongBlade and blocked both of them, however. "Gospel Cannon!" Bass formed the dark cannon and shot at Blademan from behind Roll. Blademan used Roll's sword to swing himself over them both and slice and Bass's back, however. Fortunately for Bass, the swords bounced off his LifeAura. Bass snarled and turned to face his assailant. Roll materialized a Hi-Cannon in place of her LongBlade, as well.

"Blademan, I'll have my revenge on you. Just you wait." Blademan chuckled.

"Just wait? Wait for what? The building collasping around me?" Blademan laughed again.

"You had no right to kill Lan. I'll kill you for that!" Bass punched Blademan with lightning fast speed, but the swordsmaster blocked the fist with one of his swords. Bass grabbed his other sword with his other hand and held tight. "Now, Roll!" Roll fired her Hi-Cannon, blowing a hole in Blademan's side. Instead of data flowing out, however, blood began to gush. Blademan staggered back.

"What is this?" Both Roll and Bass stepped forward.

"That is the curse of one with human's blood on his hands." Bass said. "It is also a result of chaos, and the barrier separating the Net from reality dropping. Soon, the legend of the UnderNet will come to pass."

"What? What legend?" Blademan had regained himself somewhat. Roll took aim with her cannon again, this time aiming for the NaviMark on his chest. Bass put up a hand to stop her, however.

"You have never deleted a Navi before, and I don't want you to start now. I will do this."

"No! This revenge is mine... and I will take it." Roll fired, but Blademan took the chance to move slightly out of fatal range. The shot still pierced him, though.

"How... how can these weapons be so effective against me?"

"Let me tell you the legend of the UnderNet." Bass began to sing in a very soft, dark voice.  
There are those dark Navis With human blood on their hands.  
The revenge of those fallen Shall soon come to pass.  
When the shadows all hide And the light recedes There will be one of the dark Also one that will shine.  
Together they will Enact their revenge On those who have killed Their very best friend. "I believe that legend is coming true." Blademan managed a cynical smile.

"Why do you think you are the two talked about, Bass? It could be any two Navis!" Bass stepped closer to the wounded Blademan.

"I don't think we are the two Navis. In fact, I've probably met both the Navis. All you have to do is take it one step further." Bass raised a hand to kill Blademan.

"Aftermath, CustomChip in! Download!" Suddenly, there was a strong blast from behind Bass. Blademan's eyes widened as far as they could, and he let out a gasp. As the lower half of his body melted away, a few drops of blood emerged from his mouth. He smiled a dark, sadistic smile.

"You'll never win." With those words, Blademan vanished, never to be seen again.

"Hurry, Bass. The bomb goes off in a few minutes." Bass nodded, and they continued to dash towards the exit.

"Why did you delete him?" Bass asked as they were running.

"I already told you. It was my revenge. I came here prepared to delete many Navis. I'm not afraid to die." Bass shook his head sadly.

"You should not be afraid to die. But you should be afraid of what stems from hate: darkness. With the deletion of a Navi on your hands, you will be open to the darkness. Megaman knew this, and I have known it for a very long time. I said I would delete him to protect you." Roll blushed ever so slightly, although she tried to hide it.

"I'm sorry." Roll and Bass remained silent as they escaped the building. Behind them, the bomb went off, demolishing every part of the structure. Both Navis turned to look at the aftermath. Bass turned to leave, but stopped.

"Roll. I see you as a younger sister, just as I saw Megaman as the older twin brother. If you need anything, I'll be here." Roll blushed again.

"Thank you... brother." Bass smiled the smallest of smiles and took off into the distance. Roll jacked out, and Maylu climbed onto her bed.

"This'll put us on their hitlist." Maylu said, sighing.

"Yup." Maylu jumped down from her bed.

"Come on. We're going to see Lan."


	32. Neo Genesis

**Scorch the Hedgehog: **Took you that long? Joking, joking. Out of curiosity, how did my story surprise you? Yeah, I'd like to see this story continue too, since I really have no idea where it's going. Anyway, thank you for the NetOp/Navi pair!

**PEJP Bengtzone: **No, I probably won't. Anyway, you'll just have to keep reading... btw, what's a cyber-shinagami?

**Hakuryuken: **Oh, yes, I loooove plot twists. Ah, berserkers... could use that. Anyways, I think you meant _baka_, not _jaka._

**Queen Sunstar: **You can see the future? Prove it. You probably knew I was going to say that, though, eh? Lame joking aside, you got most of the point. See, as major events happen in my life, whatever emotions the spawn may shape the story. The characters display their own emotions, though. Anyway, I also wanted to see what would happen if Lan suddenly died protecting Maylu. I might check out Corruption... how many chapters is it?

**KK the Prophet: **Bass is not very... adept at expressing his emotions. Anyway, how do you know Gluttony is still out there? He was trapped by Terraforming. Who knows if he got out?

**

* * *

**

**CHAPTER 31 : Neo Genesis**

Maylu had been kneeling at Lan's grave for over an hour now, with no tears and no words. All she was doing was staring at the words on the headstone. Most of the charcoal 'me' had washed off, but it was still vaguely visible.

"Lan..." Maylu barely mouthed the words.

"Maylu... I'm here." Maylu's head shot up as she looked around. She couldn't see anyone around, and certainly not Lan. "No, not there. In here." Instinctively, Maylu looked down to her chest. "Yeah. In your heart."

"Lan..."

"Maylu, I know this is a tough time for you. But you took my words wrong. I told you to be strong. What you're doing isn't being strong. It's cowardly and driven by hate. I don't want to say these things, but it's the truth. And sometimes, the truth hurts." Lan's voice paused. "I told you to be strong. Be a hero."

"But I was a hero! I took down GUILT's base!"

"No... that was done out of revenge. A true hero doesn't act on revenge. Act on love. Respect. Maylu... I want you to protect people, what I died doing. A hero is one to look up too, one to admire. One to love."

"Lan..."

"Yes, Roll?"

"Where's Megaman?"

"I'm right here in your heart, where I'll always be," another voice said. "All you have to do is listen." Both Maylu and Roll were near tears.

"Lan?" Maylu asked.

"Yes, Maylu?"

"I... love you. I've always loved you."

"I know, Maylu. I'm just as much a part of you now as you are yourself. When I died for you, I gave my life to you. When you accepted it, I came to live inside your soul." The tears were falling from Maylu's eyes now. "Until you let go of me, I'll be here. Waiting, watching. Maylu... I love you too."

"I'm not just dreaming this, am I?" Lan's voice chuckled.

"Maybe. Maybe you're schizophrenic now. Maybe my soul really did harbor itself inside you. Sadly, I can't tell you. If I were to tell you, you would dig deeper and deeper until you found me, and by that time, you couldn't come out. So, Maylu, be content that I am still here, watching over you. How do you think you managed all that programming? I didn't teach you most of that stuff."

"Lan, if you didn't want me attacking GUILT like that, why'd you help me?"

"Because you would have killed yourself if I wouldn't have." Those words stopped Maylu cold.

"Killed... myself? Killed..." Maylu finally broke down and cried.

"Maylu, I have to go now. Roll, that means Megaman goes as well."

"But we just got started..." Roll began to complain. "All right."

"Thank you. Maylu... think about what I said. Be strong. We'll be waiting." And with that, Lan's presence disappeared. Maylu stayed at Lan's grave for another ten minutes, then got up and dusted the dirt of her knees.

"Roll, what do you think he meant by 'We'll be waiting'?" Roll shrugged.

"I don't know. That was pretty weird, though." Maylu nodded.

"He said that it could be shizophenzia, but how would that affect you too?"

"We're completely synced now, remember? I think that has something to do with Lan and Megaman's supernatural appearance."

"Maybe. It'd make sense, since I have a close bond with Lan, and you with Megaman, and me with you... we could be the only pieces holding their souls in this world."

"Could be. I think that Dex, Sean, Tory, Yai, and Chaud play a part, too." Maylu nodded.

"You read my mind." Just then, two figures approached Maylu.

"Hi, Maylu." A young voice said.

"Yai? And Chaud? What are you to doing here..." Maylu scrunched up her face. "...together?" Yai stamped her foot.

"That has nothing to do with it! We just happened to be crossing paths! I--" Chaud put a hand up.

"It's okay. I think it'd be okay if she knows." Chaud turned to Maylu. "We're--"

"Going out."

"Yeah. It's a secret, though, so don't tell a soul."

"Not even Lan?" Chaud and Yai looked at each other before looking at Maylu again.

"What?" Maylu quickly related their talk with the deceased hero. Chaud and Yai looked at each other again.

"That's great, Maylu..." Yai began.

"If it's actually true." Chaud finished.

"We don't doubt you or anything..."

"We just think that the stress might be a little much for you." Maylu looked at the two strangly.

"That's a little creepy, guys." Yai grinned a huge grin, and Chaud smiled the smallest of smiles.

"It's a new something Chaud and I have been working on in our spare time."

"Which is not much, mind you." Chaud interjected. "Essentially, it allows you to communicate telepathically with anyone else using one of these devices." Chaud reached behind his ear and took out a small device a little bigger then an earring. Maylu looked on with wonder.

"Very, very cool. Are these going to go out on the market?" Chaud shook his head.

"No. Not only would my dad get very angry with me for 'wasting time,' it would have to be listed as joint developed with Gabcom. And, on a security note, would you really like anyone who wishes reading your mind?"

"Ah. Makes sense. So, then, who are you going to give them to?"

"We're going to give them to you, Dex, Tory, and Sean after we get all the problems fixed." Yai said.

"What kinds of problems?" Maylu asked.

"Various things involving how deep the mind can be read, along with actual translation. One thing we discovered as we made this was that different minds interpret things different ways. For example, if I say to Yai 'Banana cheesecake,' it comes out something like 'Cinnamon Dominoes,' so we have to find the correct brainwave translation for each person." Chaud replied.

"Hmm. Is there any way that I can help?"

"Not really. The main thing we need help with is bug hunting, and--"

"Bug hunting? That is what I do best!" Yai and Chaud looked at each other yet again.

"You can program?"

"Yeah! It was one of the last things... Lan... taught me." Maylu tried to avoid saying the teen's name, but it slipped out anyway. Every time she said it, her heart longed more, like she was missing part of her soul that was just beyond arm's reach. Something she knew was there but couldn't have. It was then that Maylu realized that the more something was forbidden, the more the human soul wanted it. She didn't know what it was that caused the forbidden longing, but she knew that she would find out what it was.

"Okay. We'll send you a copy of the code we suspect has errors, and you can search it. Maylu nodded, thrusting upon herself the mask she had begun to wear.

"I need to go home now. I have a lot to think about." Yai and Chaud nodded. They bid farewell, and went their separate ways. Maylu returned to her house and plugged Roll's PET into her computer, then climbed up to her bed and collapsed, oblivious to the rest of the world. What Roll had found upon logging into Maylu's computer was very surprising, on the other hand.

"Bass?" Indeed, the cloaked Navi stood there, almost serenly. His head rose from its resting place on his chest. "What are you doing here?"

"I... don't really know. I was drawn here... by something. Someone." Roll remained silent, knowing that Bass still had something to say. "I have to tell you this, or I will never forgive myself. I... Roll..." Bass stuttered for a second. "I know you will probably hate me for this, but..." Bass suddenly dashed forward and kissed Roll lightly on the cheek before jumping back. Roll also jumped back, surprised at the sudden intrusion of personal space.

"Bass... What do you mean by this?"

"I know you have Megaman, Roll, and I know that you probably believe that he will come back, just like last time. But, in the time I've known you... I've began to feel something I've never felt before. Roll, something is causing me to be drawn to you, like a magnet. Roll... I love you." Roll was temporarily stunned by the words.

"But you said... you thought of me as a sister...?" Roll was visibly confused.

"I... am not adept at expressing my emotions, to say the least." Roll stood still for a bit longer. "If you want me to leave... to never come back--"

"No, no. Please stay. I have to process all of this, and somehow, your presence is comforting." Roll closed her eyes, and both Navis stood for a few minutes. Then Roll's eyes opened, and she smiled a coy smile.

"I still think of you as a brother, Bass, but... siblings experiment every so often, don't they? Until Megaman comes back, you can be my personal boytoy. And... if... Megaman never comes back... maybe by that time... I won't care." It hurt Roll to say the words, but somewhere inside her, she was still mad at Megaman for leaving her. Roll quickly stepped forward and tilted her head up to kiss Bass, wrapping her arms around him as she did so. Bass was surprised for only a moment, then he wrapped his arms around her and returned the kiss. What neither Roll nor Bass knew and what Maylu had not yet realized, was that although Maylu had Lan's last words and her supernatural conversation with him, Roll had nearly nothing. No explanations, no last words, nothing. Megaman had, to her, abandoned her, and she was trying to fill a void she didn't even know was there.

"Are you really sure this is okay?" Roll giggled, finding it funny that the mean, dark Bass was asking her what she thought was okay. From the kiss, Roll and Bass had progressed to rubbing their hands over each other's bodies, seeking every scar, every nook or pockmark.

"Yeah. Since Navis can't really get married, Megaman and I have done this a few times before. It's so much easier for Navis to sneak out then it is for humans." Roll said the last part in a singsong voice. Bass smiled happily.

Finally, my dreams have come true... if only for a little bit. Bass thought.

"Come on. Let's go someplace more... private." Roll said. She raised her voice. "Maylu, I'm going to go out to NetCity for a while. Be back in an hour or so!"

"Okay, Roll. See you later." Maylu didn't even look up from her bed until she heard the telltale sound of jumping through a link. Then she got up and sat down at her computer. "Let's see... here it is." Maylu opened the email from Chaud and Yai and read it, then downloaded the attachments. "Time to go hunting for bugs." She opened the files containing hundreds of thousands of lines of code and proceeded to scroll through them. Most of the lines had comments explaining why they were there and what they did, making it very easy for Maylu to skim through it. "Wow, those two have very good programming technique," she mumbled to herself, "But there are some flaws here and there..." Maylu finished skimming through the file she was on before making a few changes and adding comments saying why she changed it. She saved it and opened the next one. She repeated this procedure about five more times before compiling it all into a usable program. She ran a simulation and discovered that it all worked better then Yai and Chaud's original version. Suddenly, her PET rang. "Hello?" Maylu asked as she took the call on her computer.

"Maylu? It's Chaud. Did you get the email?" Maylu nodded.

"Yeah. I already made a few changes to the code and recompiled." Chaud was visibly surprised.

"That fast? Anyway, there's a part of the code that creates a strange form of virus when run in a simulation environment. I guess you need the antidote now since you already compiled?" Maylu smiled and shook her head.

"Nope!"

"Why not?"

"I already fixed it!" Chaud was surprised yet again.

"What?"

"I saw what happened. A stray letter or two were screwing up one of the files, along with a misplaced function call. I deleted them and fixed it. Chaud paused for a moment.

"You're really, really fast."

"Well, I do have someone helping me." Chaud's brow furrowed.

"What? Who?"

"I already told you earlier! Anyway, don't worry. He won't tell anyone."

"He...?" Chaud shook his head a few times, as if to clear the last few sentences from his mind. "Never mind. Are you done with the code now?"

"I'm done with the first revision. Do you want it back?"

"Sure. Wait, first revision?"

"Yeah. I only skimmed through it this time, but next time I'll actually read through it."

"...Okay... Yeah, just send a copy back. I'll test it in the hardware, and tell you what happens." Just then, Roll returned to Maylu's computer, out of breath.

"Maylu! Bass... he's... he's..." Roll was very near tears. "He was kidnapped!"


	33. GUILT's Revenge

**ngrey651: **Well, Bass could have always loved Roll. I thank you for your compliments anyway.

**Queen Sunstar: **That's a good question... Waiting for what, indeed. Anyway, that's pretty impressive. I might go read Corruption. I'm not really a fan of the MMX world, though.

**PEJP Bengtzone: **Dude, why do you hate me so much? Anyway, I've only seen the dubbed version of the first episode. Which character is the one I am a real life counterpart for? Anyway, this chapter might make you happy.

**Hakuryuken: **Y'know, Japanese doesn't have two p's, and PEJP was talking about Bleach. Anyway, you'll have to read on to find out who would kidnap Bass. I'll try to keep updating... chances are this story is nearing the end, though.

**KK the Prophet: **Why is ChaudxYai so bad? Anyway, they aren't really a major part of this story. Bass is with Roll... but it's kinda sketchy, wouldn't you agree? Indeed, the Navi that captured Bass is indeed strong. That's true, Gluttony wouldn't be there if he was that weak.

Hey, I'm sorry about not updating consistently, I've been busy.

**

* * *

**

**CHAPTER 33 : GUILT's Revenge**

"Maylu! Bass... he's... he's..." Roll was very near tears. "He was kidnapped!"

"What? How could Bass be kidnapped?" Maylu replied.

"Where?" Chaud asked. Roll turned to Chaud's face on the wall.

"Down in NetCity... just east of the center." Chaud looked down for a second.

"Protoman's on his way." Chaud's screen closed and left Roll and Maylu alone.

"Now, Roll, start from the beginning." Maylu said. Roll sniffed once.

"Well, Bass and I were hanging out in downtown NetCity when this massive black Navi slowly lumbered our direction. We didn't think anything of it, since there are tons of custom Navis, but then he grabbed Bass and tried to grab me. Bass started struggling, of course, but he was firmly trapped in the Navi's humongous hands. I was too small and quick for him, though. I managed to get away, and came right here to get you." Roll started sniffling again.

"Okay, Roll. Let's go back. Crying about it won't help Bass, and Protoman might need our help." Roll nodded.

"Right. Let's go."

--------------

"Good job, Heavyman." The speaker was a cloaked Navi with his back turned to the massive Navi. Bass was struggling against the wall he was bound to a few meters away. "So far you are the only one to succeed." Heavyman bowed.

"Thank you for the praise, master."

"Now that we have Bass, we can begin the experiment." At these words, Bass began to struggle harder. "It's too bad you couldn't have gotten the pink Navi, too. With the darkness beginning to blossom in her, she could have been useful as well." The cloaked Navi turned to Heavyman. "Heavyman, go back to NetCity and wait for the pink Navi there. She is likely to return."

"But walking is so much work..."

"Go." Heavyman bowed and turned to leave. The cloaked Navi turned to Bass, his hood covering his face. "Did you really think that destroying our hideout in the UnderNet could stop us? That was merely a research post, and its time was up anyway." The cloaked Navi laughed. "Soon the final confrontation will begin, and without Megaman, you and your kind will be demolished, Bass."

"My... kind?"

"Yes. All the Navis and humans that do not follow me. Bass, you once hated the humans. Join us and we will destroy them forever."

"Never," Bass spat, "will I join with you. I once hated the humans, but Megaman showed me why they deserve to live." The cloaked Navi sighed and turned around.

"Begin the experiment."

--------------

"There's nothing here, Maylu." Roll surveyed the place that Bass had been kidnapped at.

"Keep looking. I have a feeling he'll be back." Suddenly, Roll felt a hand on her shoulder.

"Hello, Roll." Roll turned around to see Protoman.

"Hi, Protoman. He's not here anymore." Protoman looked around briefly.

"I can see that." Suddenly, both Navis were lifted into the air by powerful hands.

"Capturing Navis is so much work..."

"Let me go, you big oaf!" Roll started pounding on the Navi's huge arms. Protoman could barely move from the position he was in.

"You'll come back with me... and after we destroy the world together, we'll sleep and sleep because everything else is too much work..."

"AreaSteal, BattleChip in!" Chaud inserted the chip, but nothing happened.

"Lance, BattleChip in!" Again, nothing happened.

"Nothing can penetrate my hands... Not even BattleChips..." the Navi said. Roll thought for a moment.

"Are you Sloth?" The massive Navi nodded. "I am Heavyman, as well. But talking is too much work, so I won't do it anymore." A few moments later, security Navis in floating cars gave chase to Heavyman. Heavyman looked back. "Running is so much work..." Heavyman suddenly broke into a run, going faster then any of them could have ever dreamed and easily losing the security Navis.

"How can a Navi that big go so fast?" Chaud exclaimed.

"I am... the fastest Navi in GUILT." Heavyman kept sprinting along until Chaud and Maylu lost their Navi's signals. Maylu pounded the table with her fist.

"No..." Tears came to her eyes, but she blinked them back. She stood up and ran out the door, running blindly until she came to Lan's grave. There, she fell to her knees and let the tears flow. After staying there motionless for a few minutes, she began to sing the song she wrote after Lan's funeral.

_From life to death,  
From death, rebirth.  
A hero has died,  
And proven his worth.  
As morning passes,  
And evening recedes,  
Even the stars Die with ease._

_Lan, why did you have to leave?  
Megaman, why must we grieve?  
You protected us for so long.  
And now, so suddenly, you're gone.  
It's not fair, you were so strong.  
And now you're gone.  
Gone from my life, gone from hers.  
Gone from the home you called yours.  
Gone forever in the black abyss,  
Why did you abandon us?_

_From life to death,  
From death, rebirth.  
A hero has died,  
And proven his worth.  
As morning passes,  
And evening recedes,  
Even the stars Die with ease._

_Lan, please come back.  
This world's not safe without you.  
Something big will attack And burn all the morning dew.  
I can't stand living without you.  
He can't stand living without you.  
She can't stand living without you.  
We can't stand living without you._

_From life to death,  
From death, rebirth.  
A hero has died,  
And proven his worth.  
As morning passes,  
And evening recedes,  
Even the stars Die with ease.  
The world dies, the stars fade,  
Even the light turns into shade.  
This world can't live without you,  
Please come back, I beg you._

When Maylu finished singing, she fell onto the ground and cried some more. She didn't notice the echoes of her song bouncing around, nor did she see the light collecting behind the headstone. She was completely oblivious in her own sorrow. Then, she felt a hand on her shoulder. She looked up to see a familiar headbanded face.

"Lan?" He smiled.

"Hello, Maylu."

"How did you...?" Lan pulled her to her feet and embraced her.

"I had a determined girlfriend." Maylu smiled as he kissed her lightly. "Now come on, we have to find Roll. They won't be expecting me." Lan turned around, but Maylu grabbed him by the hand, a worried expression on her face.

"Wait... how will we explain this?" Lan shrugged.

"We'll tell them that you gave me a second chance." Maylu smiled again.

"I love you, Lan."

"I love you too, Maylu."

--------------

"So this is where their signals disappeared?" Lan had a serene beauty around him as he tried to track Roll and Protoman from Maylu's computer. "Megaman, do you know where this is?"

"I think it's near the end of the UnderNet."

"Really? That far?"

"What are you talking about far? The base we destroyed was at the edge of the UnderNet." Lan gravely shook his head.

"There's a place even farther than that. Megaman and I found it by mistake once. It's so far into the Net that the viruses are stronger than almost every Navi. We barely got out."

"Wow... How do you get there?" Something glinted in Lan's eye.

"You don't. It comes to you."

"What do you mean?"

"It's really a glitch. Everything inside breaks all the rules of the Net, and most of it makes no sense. The only way to get there is with a glitchy portal."

"Okay... How do you find a glitchy portal?"

"You make it. Have you ever tried to hack a portal to make it go wherever you want?" Maylu shook her head.

"Well, Megaman and I tried it once. When the portal changed color to a strange blue, we thought we had gotten it. Megaman stepped in, and he was teleported to this strange place that looked like a screwy UnderNet. Henceforth, we've called it the ShadowNet, since it's a shadow of the real Net."

"But you just said that it was the end of the UnderNet."

"Well, we discovered that once you enter the portal, you can't get out the same way. We also found that there's a one-way exit to UnderNet 7. That's why we call it the end of the UnderNet. They must have a hacked portal back there or something."

"Well, let's go!" Lan shook his head.

"They probably have guards. It'd be better to make one here."

"Okay, how long will that take?"

"Probably an hour."

"Then get started!" Lan started typing.

"Maylu, I'm locking the computer from the outside, since any Navis coming in will be transported." Maylu nodded. She twirled his hair while she watching him create code and hack stuff. Every so often she'd ask what something did. In just a little over an hour, it was done.

"Okay, Megaman. This should get you somewhere inside the ShadowNet." Megaman nodded. "Just realize that it probably won't look anything like last time." Megaman walked into the portal and fizzed out. He reappeared on a platform inside a randomly changing NetSpace. "Megaman! Can you hear me?" Lan's voice was full of static, but Megaman could still hear him fine.

"Yeah, Lan! You're a little static-y, though." Lan nodded.

"Now that you're in, can you find Roll or Protoman's signals?" Megaman stood motionless for a moment.

"I can't find theirs, but I feel a very strong one off that way." Megaman pointed what should be south.

"Okay, then. Head that way!" As Megaman ran off, finding ways across the shifting platforms, a Navi watched him from afar.

"Is he trying to destroy the other intruders in my realm? He looks so familiar..." The Navi jumped off his perch and followed him quietly, watching silently.


	34. ShadowNet

**PEJP Bengtzone: **Dude, why do you hate me so much? What's your problem? If you have a good reason to hate me, then tell me. If you don't, no one, including me, will listen to you. Go ahead, write a story about me. You use too many commas anyways. It makes your writing hard to read. And, I don't know the Japanese Bleach names. Use the English versions if you want me to understand.

**Queen Sunstar: **Which guy do _you_ want do see Roll with?

**frankcarlo mills: **Probably.

**Hakuryuken: **No, he wouldn't become Fortissimo. The experiment will be much worse then a simple DarkChip (which haven't been invented yet. Remember, this is before Axess).

**KK the Prophet: **Or maybe they were expecting them to come back. The characters in GUILT are actually very similar to the ones from _Full Metal Alchemist_. Ahh... that does make sense. But remember, this is before Axess. Anetta hasn't shown up yet. Bwahahaha! Eggshell head? That's the finniest name I've head anyone call Chaud! Thank you!

**ngrey651: **You didn't see it coming? Everyone else did. Oh well. I'm glad it was a surprise to someone.

Hey, I'm sorry again. Over the course of two days, I got four new DS games, so I've been playing those (and reading. I got seventeen books from the library Monday, and more before that). I'll try to update sooner... but chances are, I won't be able to update consistently anymore. Sorry.

**

* * *

**

**CHAPTER 34 : The ShadowNet**

As Megaman ran towards the unknown Navi's signal, he thought about what Roll and Protoman would say when they saw him. Not only them, but Bass too. He wondered if they'd be surprised, since this was his second time returning from the dead. Megaman tried to guess their reactions. He figured Protoman would simply smirk, Roll would yell his name and start crying tears of happiness, and Bass would be mildly surprised. Suddenly, he heard a sound behind him. He quickly looked back, but saw no one. His eyes furtively scanned the horizon, looking for whatever made that sound, but he found no one. He turned around and met face-to-face with a Navi. Megaman yelped.

"Who are you?"

"I'm Megaman. Who're you?" The Navi took a step back.

"Megaman? Oh, no..."

"I'm not going to hurt you... Just tell me who you are!"

"Don't you recognize me?" Megaman shook his head. "Remember TripleSoul ThunderRoll Soul?"

"Triple...Soul...?" Suddenly, it all came back to him, like waking from a dream. "Theman!"

"Don't hurt me!!" Theman cowered under his arms, then peeked out. "Please?"

"I'm not going to hurt you right now, but please answer me two questions. Why are you here, and what were you planning to do with the NetBattle Simulator?"

"Well, Uno was the first to find this place when he tried hacking a portal. It became my personal hideout, away from the rest of the world. Then you found it, although I didn't know that until recently, and those goons from GUILT found it. The second question is easier. We wanted it to make a new chip for enhancing Navi's abilities."

"So, you're not with GUILT?" Megaman asked. Theman spat.

"Hell, no. I hate them just as much as you do. Where've you been the last month, anyway?" Megaman grimaced.

"I was dead." It was Theman's turn to grimace.

"Sorry to bring it up."

"No problem. Hey, wanna join us? We're going after GUILT. I'm sure you're strong enough to help well."

"Sure we will." Uno's voice said from the screen that appeared near Theman. "You showed us the power of teamwork. And anyway... Trying to break into the NetBattle Simulator was a little over the top. We owe you." Uno's face was still darkened.

"Uno, why won't you show your face?" Lan asked.

"More fun to hide it."

"Come on, let's go." Megaman said.

"Don't you have a plan?"

"Yeah, go in and kill stuff. The three Navis they have captive are friends hat don't know I'm alive yet."

"Okay then, let's go." Megaman and Theman approached carefully, looking for unguarded entrances. Finally, he found one.

"There. We'll enter there." Theman nodded. They crept up carefully and got through the door with no problem. "What've you got that'll get us to the top fast?" Uno shuffled through his folder.

"Nothing."

"Lan?"

"Uhh... How about a Z-Cannon and Condor?" Megaman paused.

"That'll do."

"Hey, we've got those!" Theman exclaimed.

"Then use them. Cannon, Hicannon, M-Cannon, BattleChips in! Triple download! Program Advance!"

"Cannon, Hicannon, M-Cannon, BattleChips in! Triple download! Program Advance!" Uno mimicked.

"Z-Cannon!!" Megaman and Theman shouted at the same time, firing straight through the ceiling and making a decent sized hole.

"Condor!" Both NetOps inserted the chips, and yellow Condors carried them to the top of the hole where Heavyman was waiting.

"Taking captives... too much work..."

"Who are you?" Megaman shouted. "And where are my friends?" Heavyman laughed a long, slow laugh.

"I am Heavyman, known as Sloth. Your friends are safe... over there." Heavyman pointed a massive finger to the wall, where Roll and Protoman were tied, unconscious. "I'm afraid I cannot let you continue to threaten us anymore. This is where your quest ends." Sloth lumbered towards them slowly, and the battle began.

--------------

_What is that noise? That voice, it sounds so familiar..._Roll managed to open one eye to see Megaman and Theman fighting Heavyman. Both were using their strongest attacks, but they weren't even damaging him. Suddenly Roll's eyes opened wide as she realized it. _He's back... Back..._ These words bounced around in her head as she closed her eyes again. _He's back after he left me. What do I make of this? Is Lan back?_ Questions with no easy answers continued to roll around her head. _Why can Navis feel this much emotion?_

_So they can form strong bonds with their NetOps,_ a voice said. Was it Megaman's? Maylu's? N_o... It's not theirs. It was something I learned from him, even though he never said it._ Bass's voice had spoken in her head. _Why is Bass replacing Megaman? How can the brother replace the lover? Why...? Why...?_ Tears began to flow from her closed eyes, noticed by no one.

"Theman?!" Protoman exclaimed. He had woken too. "What are you doing?"

"I'm helping Megaman this time. Don't worry."

"Chaud, can you hear me? Chaud!" No one replied. He tried to get out, but the cords were too tight. His focus shifted to the battle when he heard Megaman scream. Sloth was screwing the two Navis over. Theman had already fallen and was struggling to get up.

_I can't win..._Megaman realized. _I can't do any damage at all!_

"That's not true, Megaman." Lan said. "There's no such thing as an invincible Navi." Megaman smiled. Lan had gotten good at reading his emotions.

"Then what do you suggest we do?" Lan paused.

"Yes, what do you suggest we do, Sean?" There was a momentary silence, except for the sounds of battle. Then Uno laughed.

"How'd you figure it out, Lan?" Uno's face became visible, showing the ashen hair that was Sean's trademark. Lan shrugged.

"Lucky guess." Then an idea came to Lan's mind. "Do you have the Gospel chips, Sean?"

"Yeah..."

"Aim them one at a time at Sloth. Drive him to the hole we made." Sean's face began to light up.

"Theman, can you fight?" Theman managed to get to his feet.

"If you sent me a recovery chip, it'd be easier." Sean quickly did so, and Theman stood straighter. "Go for it."

"AquaGospel, BattleChip in! Download!" A blue Gospel Cannon appeared on Theman's arm, and he fired a high pressure stream of water at Sloth, pushing him back. "WoodGospel, BattleChip in!" The cannon switched without missing a beat, continuing to push Sloth back. "ElecGospel, BattleChip in!" The cannon again switched flawlessly, pushing Sloth further.

"Blocking attacks... too much work..."

"No problem. Sean, cut it!" The lightning pushing Sloth back stopped. "GoldFist, BattleChip in! Download!" Just as Sloth was letting down his guard, Megaman punched him. Hard. Heavyman took a couple steps back and realized he was losing his balance. He looked down and saw that he was teetering on the edge of the hole.

"Arrow, BattleChip in!" Theman materialized the weapon and fired, piercing Sloth at the heart. He lost his balance and fell, crashing into walls as he fell. Megaman, Theman, Roll, and Protoman heard him crash with a sickening thud. Megaman looked down the hole and boosted his vision to maximum. Sloth had landed on his face, driving Theman's arrow clean through him. He was de-rezzing horribly. Theman walked over and looked down. "FireGospel, BattleChip in." Theman shot a stream of white-hot flames down the hole, disintegrating Sloth.

"You didn't have to do that." Megaman said. Sean shrugged.

"Would you rather have him come after you later? You would have had to delete him sooner or later anyway, and we wanted a final piece of the fight."

"Final?" Lan asked.

"Theman's too hurt to continue. The Gospel chips took the last of his strength."

"It doesn't matter! There's nothing left here, so we have to go back to find their last base. Theman will be able to fight by the time we're ready." As if to contradict Megaman's words, a portal appeared at the far side of the room. Theman shrugged.

"Good luck," he said as he logged out.

"Good luck." Sean said. "You'll need it for the last battle. We'll come later if we can." Then Sean was gone. Megaman ran over to untie Roll and Protoman. Roll was still crying.

"What's wrong, Roll?" Megaman moved to put his hands on her shoulders, but she shied away. "Roll?"

"You... traitor! You left me here! You said you'd never leave me! You said you loved me, but then you left me alone!"

"Roll... Let me explain--"

"No! Let ME explain! I seemed to be able to cope with your death well, but inside I was torn and broken! There was nothing you said to me before your death to comfort me! One moment, you were fixing the experiment, then I was fighting Blademan, and then you were dead! Blademan was the one to tell me, no less. He said you went berserk at the end, filled with darkness." Roll paused. "Is that true?"

"Roll... At the end, Lan cut his bond with me to prevent my arms being cut off. The link that we have shared for years was sudddenly gone, with nearly no warning. Do you know what that feels like?" Megaman spoke calmly, even though Roll could see that he was probably angry. "That feels like your best friend, one you've trusted for years, suddenly stabbing you in the back. It feels like the worst kind of betrayal. I know what you feel like." Roll was silent for a moment.

"No, you don't. You have no idea what it feels like. You have no idea what I went through when you were gone."

"Roll, let me speak. When he cut that link, I was so mad that he would do that to me that I let all of the darkness within me out. I thought I would use it to destroy the rest of the Navis and then rescue you and Lan, then push it all back down. But anger clouds judgement. After I destroyed the Navis, I realized it was too late. Not only that, but Lan had left a little bit of our link open. He was feeling the surge of darkness taking over, just like I was. Roll, if I wouldn't have carelessly used the dark power, we probably wouldn't have died. Roll, after feeling betrayed, I truly betrayed Lan. We actually suicided, in a way. We thought it would be better to die then to have our bodies used for evil, so we separated our souls from out bodies. We figured that we would simply die, but the void in your souls sucked us in. Roll, I have been living in your soul, watching you, waiting for you to hear my quiet calls." Roll was silent again.

"Then you saw what happened with...?" Megaman nodded gravely.

"I understand, though. I'm not mad. See, what neither of you figured out was that Maylu had Lan's last words keeping her from insanity, but you had nothing. Do you remember the last words I said to you?" Roll thought for a moment.

"I love it." Megaman nodded and held out a picture. Roll looked at it. It was the one she had given him right before he died. She blinked back tears and gave it back. Why does my body hurt so much? "Megaman, you still abandoned me."

"Not on purpose!" Megaman interjected.

"I don't care. You walked away from me, and now that you are back, you expect me to come running to you?" Roll laughed dryly. "It's been a month, Megaman. Things change in a month. I have a new lover now."

"No, Roll. I don't expect you to come running back to me. Had I not seen what has gone on in the last month, I would have, but I understand. A wise person once said that if you love something, you should let it go. If it comes back to you, it's yours, but if it doesn't, it never was. The easiest way to lose something is to hold onto it too tight. If you really love Bass, then he will be a happy man. Roll... if you're happy, I'll be at the very least, content." Roll had to blink back tears again.

"Come on. Let's find Bass and take down GUILT."


	35. To Infiniti and Beyond

**Hakuryuken: **You have some good ideas. Thanks for reading!

**PEJP Bengtzone: **What does it matter how far I've gotten into Bleach? This story has nothing to DO with Bleach. And I really could care less if I get flamed, as long as someone has a good reason. I'm the kind of person that doesn't bother with getting offended unless I'm accused of something I didn't do or someone insults my friends. And what does Anetta have to do with this? I know she was a nurse. Whatever.

**Queen Sunstar: **Hmm... I clearly specify this is RollxMega, and I draw RollxBass fans. I find that mildly ironic. Hell, I find it really ironic.

**KK the Prophet: **He is? I thought Megaman deleted Freezeman in MMBN2. In RockmanEXE : The College Years, Sean has a gun wielding Navi named Axl, so I assumed he was Navi-less. Indeed, Heavyman was one of the weakest GUILT members because of his slow wit. He was fast and inpervious, sure, but he couldn't think well. So he was deleted. Yeah, Megaman and Roll are still friends. Why wouldn't they be?

And so, the final chapters begin to approach... Who will come out alive?

**

* * *

**

**CHAPTER 35 : To Infiniti and Beyond**

"Come on. Let's find Bass and take down GUILT." Roll walked through the portal first. Megaman looked at Protoman and shrugged. Then those two walked through the portal after her. They emerged in a place that was familiar, yet unfamiliar at the same time.

"ACDC Area?" Protoman asked.

"--otoman! Protoman! Can you hear me?"

"Loud and clear, Chaud. Do you know where we are?" Megaman saw Roll a little bit ahead, trying to make out where she was.

"It seems like you're in ACDC Area, but I really don't know where."

This place... I know it from somewhere... Roll thought. She heard a sound and turned to look at it. Megaman and Protoman did the same. All they saw was a glint of smooth, dark metal, though.

"Protoman, did you see that?" Protoman nodded. "Roll, did you?" Roll nodded as well.

"What was it?" Protoman asked.

"It looks familiar, just like everything else in this blasted place." Megaman replied with a hint of disgust. "Where the heck are we?"

"You're in my domain now." All three Navis turned to look at the speaker. He had a dark purple star on his jet-black helmet, with large black fins on the top. He wore a dark red cloak with a tattered bottom that rested at his feet. He jumped down from a ledge, showing his blood-red boots as he landed. "I am Pulse. Good job finding this place. Welcome to GUILT's primary headquarters."

"Where are we?" Roll asked. She had rejoined Megaman and Protoman. Pulse laughed.

"You should know. Good luck finding our base. And even if you do..." Pulse's eyes changed from amused to deadly. "...you'll wish you hadn't." Pulse jumped high into the air and caught something flying by, which took him sailing away.

"After him!" Protoman yelled, and they all gave chase to the enemy. They were able to somehow keep him in sight, but they never could find where he was going. Then he suddenly disappeared. Megaman, Roll, and Protoman sat down to catch their breath.

Everything here looks so familiar! Roll thought.

"Hey, what's over there?" Megaman pointed to a large, open field.

"Nothing." Protoman replied. Roll strained her eyes.

"Huh, I thought I saw something." Megaman said. "I can't see it anymore."

"No, look harder." Roll replied. Look very close, and imagine a building." Megaman and Protoman did so. As they did, they saw the outline of a building. It gradually became clearer, revealing a tall building.

"Wow... that's a really big building.

"Come on, let's go." The three Navis headed towards the unknown building.

"Huh. They've found our hideout," Pulse said from behind some thick brush. "But not really. I better follow them in case they end up posing a major threat." Pulse darted after them, hiding behind things and staying unseen.

--------------

All three Navis looked up at the massive structure. As they had gotten closer, it seemed to have gotten bigger and bigger, until they couldn't see the top. Right in front of them was a huge iron door.

"...That's massive." Megaman said.

"No, really?" Roll replied sarcastically. "Come on. We have to find Bass and destroy GUILT."

"There's got to be some hidden entrance somewhere..." Protoman said. "Chaud, try scanning the building." There was a pause as they waited for Chaud's reply.

"I can't do it, Protoman. There's some sort of distortion surrounding it." Protoman swore.

"We could always go in the front door." Roll said.

"And get killed?" Protoman asked sarcastically.

"No, she's right." Megaman replied. "What's our goal here? For once we're not on defense, we're on offense. The goal's just to destroy GUILT and rescue Bass. If we go in the front door, chances are they'd all come after us, and then we could take them all out with a few big shots."

"I've got the CustomChips." Maylu volunteered.

"CustomChips?" Chaud asked.

"They're five BattleChips I made myself." Maylu explained. "There's Omega Chaos, Terraforming, After--"

"Terraforming?" Protman broke in. "Does that mutilate the ground?" Roll nodded. "Then let's try that. If we can raise the ground under the door, then it'll compress it, leaving us free to enter.

"Makes sense." Megaman replied. "And we've got Double Hero." Protoman nodded.

"Ready?" Maylu asked. Lan and Chaud slotted the chips for Double Hero and nodded. "Terraforming, CustomChip in! Download!" Roll's eyes began to glow yellow as she grasped an invisible plane and pulled it upward violently. With the motion of her hands, the ground underneath the door also pulled upward. The door didn't break, however. Instead, it was launched into the ceiling above, collapsing the second floor. The building stayed intact, however.

"...Oops." Roll said. Suddenly a siren began to sound, clearly audible from the broken walls.

"All personnel report to the main door! Intruders have been sighted! All personnel report to main door!" The three Navis stood in silence.

"Well, at least they didn't use 'Intruder alert.'" Megaman noticed.

"Repeat! All personnel report to the main door! Intruder alert!" Megaman sweatdropped.

"Spoke too soon..." Megaman mumbled. Suddenly, three Navis dashed out of the broken building.

"Megaman!" The first one exclaimed.

"So, Lust, Greed, and Pride all came out." Megaman said dryly. Me looked to Roll and Protoman and nodded. Roll stepped forward.

"Omega Chaos, CustomChip in! Download!" Maylu said, slotting the black chip. Roll formed the ball of chaos energy in her hands and fired it at the Navis, causing them to scatter.

"Double Hero!" Megaman and Protoman got into position and began firing buster shots and shockwaves at the enemies. They were hard pressed to dodge these, and took more than a few hits.

"Theta Wave!" Pride said, and he called a wave from behind him to crush the three heros.

"Barrier200!" Maylu said, and Roll protected them with a shining prism.

"Roll, you take Lust. Protoman, you get Greed. I'll take Pride." The two nodded, and Roll dropped the barrier. "X System online!" Megaman transformed into Megaman LinkCross and dashed forward to Pride, his sword ready.

"Beta Sword!" The two Navis clashed, each trying to overpower the other. Pride smirked and jumped back. "Sigma-Beta Puncture!" Pride formed Sigma and Beta, and fired multiple small swords at Megaman. He blocked with his shield, but some still got through, wounding his legs. Pride then reformed his sword and lunged at Megaman. He ducked behind the shield and swiped from behind it, catching Pride's legs.

--------------

"NeoVariable, BattleChip in!" Protoman attacked Greed with the mystical sword. Greed dodged and attacked with Poison Sting. This went on for quite a while, with neither Navi scoring a hit.

"Not bad, Protoman. Not many dodge my attacks for this long. "Thunderbolt!" Greed launched a bolt of electricity at Protoman faster then the previous attacks. The bolt caught Protoman and wounded him slightly. He let out a small cry, but composed himself. "Have you forgotten, Protoman?" Protoman dashed at Greed again, harder than before. This time, when he was near, he launched a shockwave at Greed, but it bounced off his CD Field.

"I did forget, Greed. But I remember now." Protoman was still running towards him and showed no sign of changing course.

"Then why are you still running at me?" Greed asked. "Don't you remember the last time your sword hit it?" Protoman nodded.

"GaiaBlade, BattleChip in! Download!" Right when Protoman was in front of him, he materialized the big sword in his left hand and brought it down on Greed. It shattered his CD Field, and continued to its target. Protoman quickly followed up with the NeoVariable.

--------------

"So, you love Bass now, eh?" Lust taunted as she dodged Roll's attacks.

"Of course! He didn't abandon me like the blueberry over there." Lust grinned and chuckled.

"Hmm hmm hmm... I don't think so~." She waggled her finger at Roll as she dodged another attack. "Drain Cannon!" Lust fired her cannon at Roll, replenishing some of the dark Navi's lost health.

"What do you mean?" This time around, Roll was dodging Lust's attacks.

"Jasper Blade! I mean, you really don't love Bass. I can see it in your eyes." Roll dodged another slice.

"As if you know my life. Aqua Tower!"

"Jasper Body! All you feel for him is lust." She smirked. "I should know~."

"Why are you telling me this?" Roll asked. "Why should I believe you?" Lust just shrugged.

"You've got no reason to. I'll say that I'm different from these guys, though." She grinned again. "Or maybe I'm trying to psyche you out." Suddenly, Roll's eyes turned a blazing red. She stopped trying to dodge Lust's attacks and just began to walk straight towards her, ignoring everything else. She began to speak in a commanding voice, a voice filled with authority.

"If you're truly different from them, come help us. If you don't, you're no better. Make your choice now, and make it well." Lust was temporarily astonished. How could such a powerful voice come from a Navi this small?

"My decision is..." Lust paused for a moment. What do I want? Do I really want to be here now that I know what their goal is? "I'm out of here." Lust jumped backwards and vanished in a flash of light and smoke. Roll's eyes turned back to normal.

"So, she chose to flee instead of answering my question. This means many things..." Roll mumbled.

--------------

Both Megaman and Pride were breathing heavily, staring at each other, waiting to see who would make the first move.

"Sigma-Alpha Twister!" Pride fired a large stream of wind at Megaman, who dodged. "Sigma-Gamma Growth!" Vines began to crawl through the ground to attack Megaman.

"Lan, send me GaiaBlade. Don't ask, just do."

"GaiaBlade, BattleChip in! Download!" Megaman's NaviMark began to glow green, and he touched it right before the vines hit him. A flurry of vines surrounded him, spiraling outward from Megaman. The vines sliced at Pride, but the Navi took minimal damage. When Pride could see again, Megaman's body had changed. Two fans had attached themselves to his back and were spinning lazily. His bodysuit had changed to green, and some armor had been added to it.. Megaman was slightly shorter, as well. The space between his helmet fins was glowing with a telltale light, and so were the highlights along his body.

"ThickForest FormStyle!" Megaman said, striking a pose. Pride took a step back.

"That looks strangely familiar..." Pride said. Megaman grinned slightly.

"It should. It's the same ability I defeated you with last time. Fact is, you were the one to awaken it." Megaman raised his hands into the air. "Wind Tunnel!" Megaman formed a large tornado in his hands and launched it at Pride. He jumped high to avoid it, but Megaman had expected that. "Tangle Grasp!" Vines quickly grew out from the ground and grabbed Pride midjump. They pulled him back down into the path of the Wind Tunnel, where he was sliced by the wind. When the furious gale ended, Megaman followed up with a grass-element Charge Shot, which drained the rest of his energy and pulled him out of ThickForest.

"No... NO!" Pride shouted as the Charge Shot hit him. He faded away as the computer announced his deletion. Megaman looked over to see Protoman swing the NeoVariable through Greed, deleting him. Then he looked to Roll just as Lust vanished. They regrouped at the front of the half-destroyed building. Protoman cracked his knuckles.

"Three down, four to go." He smiled a twisted smile. "These guys are a good challenge."

"Careful, Protoman. Keep it down." Protoman suddenly gained his composure and returned to his normal self.

"Thanks."

"Let's go." Roll said as she walked through the busted door.


	36. Those Who Can Change

**GammaTron: **Ah, so another RollxMega fan. I wonder who has the majority now? Thanks for your praise.

**LeaveFishysWishbones: **Indeed.

**Queen Sunstar: **Same here. I prefer RollxMega, but RollxBass is okay too.

**Hakuryuken: **Hmm... Indeed, much rambling. I do try to give form to the ideas in my head... You might want to check out my deviantArt for that, though. I don't know my link offhand, and I can't check it cause my parents blocked it for some crappy reason, but my username is snoozbuster. I intend on posting something else up there as soon as I can...

**KK the Prophet: **Yeah, you've got it right. Or do you? ^.^ Thanks for the compliment about blueberry. That popped to mind as I was writing, so there it was. Hmm... BassxRoll or MegamanxRoll... Right now, MMxRoll has the majority. I wonder... Oh, whatever happened to Kasuchi, Koichi? I meant to ask but kept forgetting.

Hey, I'm sorry about the long wait. My parents are being paranoid and didn't let me use my thumb drive in the computer with internet for a week, and I've not really been writing, either. Fortunately, the story will come to an end soon...

**

* * *

**

**CHAPTER 36 : Those Who Can Change**

"Let's go." Roll said as she walked through the busted door. Megaman and Protoman followed with their guard up. The alarm continued to blare in the background, although no one answered the call.

"It's really strange..." Protoman mumbled. "You'd think there would be security systems or something. It's almost like they want us to make it to the top." Megaman nodded gravely. Indeed, they did make it to the top floor, where Envy, Lust, and Gen were waiting. Megaman, Roll and Protoman struck battle poses. Envy and Lust stepped back, but Gen stepped forward.

"So, we finally meet again, eh, Megaman?" Megaman nodded sadly, but said nothing. "What's the matter? Mettaur got your tongue?" Gen laughed. Megaman shook his head. "Then why won't you speak to me?"

"Because I don't want to kill you." Megaman spoke heavily, the pain evident in his voice. Gen laughed again.

"You couldn't kill me." Gen's face became darker than before. "Even if you could, you wouldn't." Megaman said nothing. Suddenly, Gen was trapped in a casing of purple gems.

"Roll, you've made me realize how stupid it is to be here. Dat and I are out of here." Lust said.

"Why not stay and fight with us?" Roll asked.

"Because we just decided to turn over a new leaf. We're not going to commit suicide, too. From now on, we're Jasper and Dat. Nothing more." Jasper twined her fingers with Dat's, and they turned to leave. Just before they vanished, Dat turned and threw something at Megaman. Megaman thought he saw a faint smile on his face before they vanished.

"HubStyle!" Megaman exclaimed. "Now I've got everything but the TeraChips Bass took." He pressed the data to his NaviMark, where it was quickly absorbed. "Wonder how this will affect my other upgrades..." Then, Gen broke out of her prison with a big shockwave.

"Lust!" She turned around, but saw no one. "Damn traitors. And she took Envy with her." Gen turned to face Megaman and company. Then Roll noticed what had been nagging at her.

"Where's Gluttony?" A sad smile came over Gen.

"You killed him, remember? When you set off the bomb?"

"Oh. I figured he'd live through that." Roll replied.

"You trapped him very tightly. By the time he got out, he was too weak to escape."

"And how do you know this?" Protoman asked suspiciously.

"All of us higher-ups in GUILT were linked telepathically. And to answer the question you were about to ask, Lust and Envy cut off contact after Lust froze me."

"Oh."

"Can we get on with fighting now?" Gen asked sweetly. Megaman shrugged.

"I'd rather not. Jasper and Dat changed, why can't you?"

"I told you. GUILT's the only ones who can get us back to normal," Gen replied fiercely.

"I highly doubt that. I asked my dad," Lan said, "and he said there's no way to undo what he did."

"That's what he's always said! And by killing you, I'm going to get the cure, from either him or GUILT!" Lan shook his head.

"He doesn't have it. And neither does GUILT."

"Shut up! Generation Splitter!" Red energy began to form a ball in her raised hand. She clenched it and made a slicing motion with her index and middle fingers. Megaman and Roll jumped, but Protoman was hit by the invisible blade.

"Sorry, I should have warned you, Protoman." Megaman said as he helped the red Navi up.

"You think? Come on, let's go."

"NeoVariable, BattleChip in! Download!"" Protoman charged towards Gen and parried her constant Generation Splitters with his NeoVariable Sword. When he got near her, he used the sword as a polevault to hit Gen feet-first, sending her back into the wall. Megaman was ready with a LongBlade, and jumped over Protoman's head, driving the sword through Gen's right shoulder. Roll followed up with a Roll Arrow that cracked Gen's helmet. The screams they promptly heard were not just Gen's, they knew. To know that they were causing so much pain to a human sickened them. Gen closed her eyes.

"Do you think... that can stop me?"

"I was hoping." Megaman replied. Gen's eyes snapped open.

"Natural Disaster!" Gen called four massive rocks up from the ground, and they fell on the unsuspecting Navis, crushing them under the weight. Gen stood up shakily, just out of Megaman's reach from under his rock. "Element Storm!" Various forms of all the elements began to buffet the trapped Navis.

"Ready... guys?" Megaman breathed. He saw them nod weakly.

"Geyser, AquaBlade, BattleChips in! FormStyle SolidIce!"

"Form Change, White Form!"

"Form Change, Muramasa Form!" The power of the three transformations busted their stony prisons and quieted the storm. Megaman's body had become a lighter blue, and ice formations snaked up his body in place of armor. The pack on his back had become slightly bigger, and the lines on his body glowed, giving the ice a cool effect. His fins had turned into solid ice, as well, and the patch of helmet between them glowed. Gen smiled sadly again.

"Looks like it's game over for us, Lana. Let's go out fighting." Lana nodded.

"Final Bane, BattleChip in! Download!" Gen began to glow with a dark light. She gathered the energy into the core of body, and began to focus it into a ball.

"Stand back, Roll. Protoman. This is my fight." Roll and Protoman did as they were told. "Ice Barrier!" Megaman also focused all of his energy, but he focused it into a thick wall of ice in front of him.

"Do you think that can stop this?" Gen asked darkly. "I'll take you with me!!" She finished focusing the energy, and let it float into the air. It floated higher and higher before it came down slowly on Gen. That was when Megaman realized the intention of the attack.

"No!" Megaman formed a hole in his barrier and jumped through it towards the glowing ball of darkness. He grabbed it, and even as it was absorbed into his body, he formed a casing of ice around it. He then launched the ball far out of the building and landed on his side, skidding for over three meters.

"Too late. You absorbed enough of it to make a very nice explosion. It should take us out, at least." Megaman could feel the darkness struggling to vent in the most violent way possible as the aqua power of the FormStyler rose too. Then Megaman made a second realization. He pulled out the DarkChip data Bass had given him in the battle with Fortissimo. He fell out of SolidIce just as he pressed the data to his NaviMark.

"What are you doing, Megaman?!" Lan exclaimed.

"What needs to be done." As the DarkChip data was absorbed, he pressed his NaviMark. It began to glow with various forms of power. Megaman stood. "I guess you will see him again, Lan." There was a small explosion, and out of the smoke emerged a figure familiar to only Lan and Maylu. It was Megaman, but his bodysuit had changed to black with the lines flashing blue/white. His helmet was gone, and Bass's scar had appeared over his NaviMark as well as his left eye. His hair had darkened to a near-black, and his skin had darkened a bit too. Bass's fins were attached to his shoulderpads, and the cross-shaped crest on Bass's helmet was embedded in Megaman's forehead. "FormStyle Twilight Hikari." Megaman put his hands together, palms out, and launched a blast of energy at Gen.

"Megaman! How'd you do that?"

"The energy from Final Bane, the DarkChip data, and HubStyle were enough to recreate it using the FormStyler. Unfortunatly, a lot of strain is being placed on the program. I'll fall out of it in just a few minutes, and I won't be able to use the FormStyler for a while after that." Lan nodded.

"Then do what needs to be done."

"Engage, BattleChip in! Download!" Gen's body began a hideous transformation. She became twice her normal size, and various claws and points emerged from her body at seemingly random places. Her armor was buffed quite a bit, and her helmet lowered to cover her whole face. Lastly, two dark wings sprouted from her back. She looked up at Megaman.

"This is the fruits of the X Project Fortissimo finished." Gen stood to her full height and stretched her wings out to full length. The wingspan was a good five meters from end to end. "The Engage BattleChip. I am Engage now." Megaman shook his head.

"You're Gen."

"You lie!" Gen jumped up and fired a large barrage of spikes at Megaman. He began to walk forward, evading left and right as necessary.

"Wow, his speed is incredible..." Protoman mumbled. "You can't even see him dodge from side to side. It's like he teleports!" Megaman continued walking at a steady pace towards Gen.

"Groundquake!" She pounded the ground, creating a vertical shockwave. It hit Megaman right between the legs. His left shoulderfin broke off, and he gasped. But he continued walking. He was right in front of Gen now. She threw a punch, but Megaman caught it and used it to pull her into a tight embrace. Her various spikes stabbed him, but he just held tighter. "What? What are you...!" Gen began to shrink back to her normal form, the spikes and claws retracting. "How...?"

"You're Lan's sister's Navi, and you're fused with her. That makes you my sister. No matter how much you try to hurt me, I'll still love you." Gen's face softened, as did Lana's.

"As will I, Lana. I would rather die than kill my sister." Megaman fell out of Twilight Hikari, and Protoman and Roll walked up to them.

_Kill them now! You can do it!_ Lana cringed.

_No. I won't obey you anymore, Chaos._

_It'd be so simple. All you have to do is insert that chip, and they'll all die. Then you'll be free from your ailment!_ Lana pulled out a BattleChip, but hesitated. _Come on..._ She raised her hand, and slammed it down... onto the floor. The chip fractured upon impact with the stone floor.

_No. It's not an ailment anymore. It's a blessing._

_Then I'll make you obey. _Back in the Net, Gen suddenly went into spasms.

"Gen? Gen!" Megaman shook his sister, but nothing happened. Then a shadowed Navi appeared on screen.

"Hello, Megaman. Gen and Lana have decided not to obey me by deleting you, and so I have taken Gen's energy. I already took the energy of the other Navis you deleted. Pity Jasper and Dat won't be joining me. You did a good job deleting the others, though."

"You set us up!" Megaman exclaimed.

"Indeed. I knew that the others wouldn't be able to stop you. But I sent them, knowing that with their deaths I would become stronger. That's why Jasper and Dat left. They knew that if they stayed to fight and were deleted, they would end up hindering more than helping. And so, now Gen is an empty shell, her power added to mine."

"Bastard." Megaman muttered. He laid Gen's body on the ground and stood up. "You coward!"

"You're the coward, fighting behind your friends." Protoman and Roll had long since fallen out of Form Change. Megaman hesitated.

"You weren't fighting behind us!" Roll exclaimed. "Don't let him goad you like that!" Megaman shook his head.

"He's being a coward again. He's not going to fight me until you leave. Quick, take Gen and go." Roll began to speak, but Megaman silenced her. "Just... go." Roll saw a tear at the corner of his eye as she picked Gen up and logged out. Protoman saluted and logged out. "There. I'm alone. Now, come out and fight me." The unknown Navi laughed.

"You forgot one key factor." As if on cue, a Navi burst in through the window.

"Pulse here, Chaos. I'm ready." He faced Megaman and took up a battle stance.

"Bastard." Megaman whispered. "Cowardly bastard." Chaos laughed as the screen disappeared.

"I think I'll start by telling you who I am." Pulse threw back his cloak, showing a blank NaviMark with a slash across it. The second thing Megaman saw was that Pulse was female. "I was Bass, Megaman." Pulse called a grey chip to her hand and absorbed it. "BeastOut Gregar!" Pulse's body grew longer as claws and a tail sprouted from her. Her helmet and armor changed shape, too. She roared a bestial roar.

"Bass...? No..." Megaman said.


	37. Vibrant Colors

**LeaveFishysWishbones: **So would I, man. So would I.

**Queen Sunstar: **Yes it could. =p

**Hakuryuken: **Your questions shall all be answered... Just read on.

**GammaTron: **I don't know who Chaos Theory is... Cool name, though.

** KK the Prophet: **Gen and Lana aren't dead yet! (One particular scene from _Monty Python and the Holy Grail_ comes to mind...) Don't know about Dat and Jasper. I turned Bass female as a forshadowing kind of thing... It's an abstraction. If I explained it right now it would give too much away.

**

* * *

CHAPTER 37 : Vibrant Colors**

"Bass...? No..." Megaman said. But it had to be true. Pulse was Bass. She even had the TeraChips that used to be Megaman's. "How?" Pulse roared again.

"They unleashed... the true me... this being known as Pulse!" Pulse roared once more. "Pulsing Ring!" Pulse motioned towards Megaman, and a thin beam sped towards him. He couldn't dodge, and it ran him through, holding him in place as rings surged down the line in random intervals, ramming into him.

"Megaman. This fight is no different than the other times we've fought Bass. Yet again, this fight is to the death." Megaman nodded painfully.

"Understood, Lan. Let's go."

"ElecBlade, BattleChip in! Download!" Megaman's hand formed a blue sparkling blade, and he charged at Pulse. Pulse unsheathed a shadowy blade and parried the onslaught with one hand.

"Pulse Cannon!" Pulse formed a small hand cannon in her other hand and fired at Megaman. He bent his body out of the way, but the blast still clipped his side. He ducked and took a slice at Pulse's legs. She jumped and came down on him from above. He quickly rose his blade to meet her, but she broke through it as if it weren't even there and scored a direct hit on Megaman. He crumpled to the ground.

"AreaSteal!" Megaman disappeared just as Pulse fired another blast from her cannon. "Recovery300! HolyPanel! DoubleSoul RollSoul, BattleChips in! Triple download! Program Advance! BigHeart!" Megaman quickly entered RollSoul and attacked Pulse before healing himself and falling out of the DoubleSoul. Pulse jumped back a few times to put some space between Megaman and her.

"Pulse Overload!" Pulse began to pulse with a orange light, and her cloak billowed up with an invisble wind. She put her hands together, palms out, and launched a huge energy blast at Megaman.

"Barrier! Barrier100! Barrier200!" The chips quickly merged into Barrier500 and blocked the blast, but it faded afterward. "DoubleSoul NumberSoul, NaviChip in! Download!" Megaman gained his bubblehead and visor and began to analyze Pulse.

"Here, Lan. Use this." Maylu pressed a black chip into Lan's hand. Lan glanced at it.

"Perfect. Aura Reverse, CustomChip in! Download!" An aura became faintly visible around Megaman before it inverted itself. Megaman formed an energy ball and launched it at Pulse. She blocked it with her sword, but it exploded, putting a decent hole in the black blade. She touched her helmet above the forehead.

"GetAbility, Aura Reverse!" This time, a strong black aura was visible around Pulse before she formed it into a raging black ball. She smirked and launched it at a massive speed.

"Catch it." Megaman nodded, and held one hand out. The ball stopped in front of him and reformed an aura around Megaman.

"What was that, Lan?" Maylu asked.

"We helped build these chips, remember? If an aura is launched with Aura Reverse at a Navi who has already used the chip, he can catch it and use it. I put it in just for Bass." Lan smiled a triumphant smile.

"No matter," Pulse said. "I'll just shatter it! Pulse Overload!" As she put her hands out, Megaman's visor came to life analyzing the attack.

"Lan, send me a Condor!" Lan nodded and slotted the specified chip just as Pulse launched her attack. "DashAttack!" Megaman hopped on the Condor and sped towards the blast, piercing it and causing it to dissipate.

"Cannon, BattleChip in! Download!" Megaman came down on Pulse, pressed the weapon to her shoulder, and fired. He then used the kickback and Pulse's chest to backflip out of melee range. The result was a badly damaged Pulse on the ground a few yards away. She slowly got up.

"Seems like I will have to call for backup." She spoke into her helmet and smiled. "Here he comes." At that moment, a dark-suited Navi busted through the remains of the ceiling and landed, going to one knee to absorb the impact. He stood up.

"Remember me, Megaman?"

"Darkman." Darkman nodded. "Why'd you have to break through the ceiling? There's plenty of holes already." Darkman stood motionless for a few minutes.

"That was where I aimed."

"Couldn't you have aimed differently?" Darkman began to reply, but Pulse interrupted.

"Can we have this conversation some other time?" Darkman nodded and turned to Megaman.

"Chaos Charge!" Darkman formed his two-handed cannon and began to charge.

"Pulsing Ring!" Pulse fired many beams this time, one after the other. Megaman did a good job of dodging, but one finally hit him. The rings began to surge through him, and Pulse smirked.

"Chaos Finish!" An orange glow built up at the back of the cannon and quickly made its way forward, breaking out in a powerful beam.

"Megaman!!" Lan screamed.

"Finality, CustomChip in! Download!" Maylu slammed the chip into Lan's PET as fast as she could. The beam hit Megaman just as Pulse's attack ended.

"Quickly, Maylu. The other three CustomChips." Maylu nodded and handed them to him. "Omega Chaos, Terraforming, Aftermath! CustomChips in! Triple download!" The beam warped around Megaman, surging toward him from every direction. Lan shook his head sadly. "Here it comes..."

"Here what comes?"

"Finality." Lan said gravely. "Aura Reverse was already downloaded, and then I added the other three CustomChips... I hope his system can handle it." A thin beam came from the maelstrom surrounding Megaman, piercing it and ramming into Pulse. The storm dissipated, revealing a Navi with a black bodysuit. Orange lines on his sides were pulsing regularly, and his mouthguard had taken its place over his mouth. His gloves and boots had been enlarged, and the DarkAura he had stolen from Pulse surrounded him visibly. His hair was red, and his eyes were violet.

"What the hell...?" Darkman said.

"This is the power of Finality. By itself, it's simply a strong blast, but when you add all the other CustomChips..." Lan trailed off.

"But Aura Reverse was already used!" Pulse exclaimed.

"Yes, but the CustomChips are special. After their use, they remain as a secondary process for the rest of the battle. So it was as if I had just used it. This is Megaman Final."

"Tier One." Megaman formed a thin beam with his two forefingers and fired it at Darkman. The beam was immensely fast, and pierced Darkman's arm before he could move. He screamed in pain as seizures racked his body. He crumpled to the ground, twitching and screaming. "That's just the first level attack. It only does that to the cowardly at heart. Would you like to see Tier Ten?" Pulse stood motionless.

"Go ahead," she said.

"Then die. Tier Ten!" Nothing happened for a moment. Then the ground warped under Pulse's feet, causing her to lose her balance. Four spikes suddenly protruded at a forty-five degree angle, piercing Pulse through. Even as her body de-rezzed, she smirked and slowly touched her helmet.

"Get...Ability... Finality." Chaos surrounded Pulse as the ability copied the data contained in the attack and applied it to her program. The result was another pitch-black Navi with orangle pulsing lines on her body. Her gloves and boots were also enlarges, and her long hair changed to a very dark green. Her eyes changed to deep red. Purple lipstick was also applied to her lips. "How high do the tiers go? Tier One Hundred!" Nothing happened for a moment.

"Tier Two." Megaman's aura began to surge as millions of lethal darts appeared out of nowhere and fired at him from point blank range, but his raging aura ate them all. "You'll get nowhere without knowing the nuances of each tier."

"That's what you think! Tier One-Fifty!" This time, Megaman was surrounded by spiraling rock walls that continued to rise.

"Tier Seven." Megaman sped up incredibly and ran up the walls, escaping the stony prison before it forcefully collasped on itself. He landed safely and waited. "The higher you go, the stronger it gets. But after ten, power is the only boost. In fact, all of my current defense were simply modified attacks. When you guess, you get nowhere."

"Liar!!" Pulse screamed. "Tier Two Hundred!!"

"Tier Eight." Megaman said. Billions of tiny shuriken flew at him from seemingly random places at incredulous speeds, but he kept teleporting out of the way.

"Let's see how you handle Tier Two-Fifty-Five!!" Pulse screamed with the effort as she made the motion of pulling something incredibly heavy out of the ground. Megaman closed his eyes sadly, knowing the cost of his next move.

"Tier Zero," Megaman whispered. His aura began to expand and rage as Megaman's side of the building was engulfed in a humongous slow-moving energy blast. Megaman's aura was seen at brief moments from outside the blast. Then the attack was over.

"Did I get him?" Pulse breathed. Then she saw tendrils of Megaman's aura thrashing wildly from the blast zone. "No... How?" Megaman calmly floated there, his aura seemingly out of control.

"Tier Zero is an attack that uses the user's aura to absorb an attack. But it wasn't meant to absorb Tier Two-Fifty-Five. It's strength is over 9000 HP now."

"But nothing I've got can..." Megaman shook his head gravely.

"And the second part of the attack is to release the energy at double damage. It's taking all I have to hold it in right now instead of destroying half this CompSpace." Pulse shuddered. "Bass, do you really want to die? I'm letting you decide. Me, or you. Who lives? Hurry, the energy will implode soon." Pulse went into spasms, and a silver ring around her NaviMark that Megaman never noticed began to shine. It fell to the ground with a clank, and Pulse began to shine with a mystic light. She fell to her knees.

"...You." The voice was both Pulse's and Bass's. "Don't worry about me... Hurry. I'll...ACK!" Pulse reached down and clamped the ring around her NaviMark. It began to fade into the bodysuit. "Quickly..." Bass's part of the voice was fading.

"Megaman! Now!" Lan exclaimed. Megaman closed his eyes and held out his arms in a cross-shaped form.

"You brought this on yourself, Pulse. I'm sorry, Bass." A column of energy bigger than any of them had ever seen fired out of Megaman's body at a speed exceeding Mach 20, and he screamed. It engulfed the remainder of the building and continued for about a mile before it finally faded. The boom echoed across the CompSpace and into the connected computers. Darkman's screams were finally silenced. Megaman was lowered to the ground slowly.

"Good job, Megaman." He could hear Chaos's voice taunting him, but he had no strength to move. He was back to normal form now, the last attack exhausting all his capability to move. "You did it. Deleted them all. Darkman, Pulse, all the GUILT higher-ups except for Envy and Lust. They're all added to me now. Very good." Megaman slowly began to get up. "Don't bother trying to get up. But since you've done such a good job, I'll show you who I am. Megaman looked up at Chaos, who had appeared in front of him. Megaman, Lan, and Maylu all gasped. Chaos was a perfect copy of Megaman. Down to every pixel, every color, he was the same. The only noticable difference was a darker expression and slightly darker hair. "Now that I have shown you my face, I can tell you my name. I am X. I am the founder of the Engage Research, and I am the leader of the Guided Underground Interplanetary Legacy Team, GUILT. Fear my name." The calm with whcih he said these things was unnerving in itself. Megaman continued to get up slowly. He soon reached a full upright position.

"Never will I bow to someone like you." X made a gesture with his hands, and a strong blow knocked Megaman to the ground again. He slowly got up for the second time. X made a different gesture this time, and Megaman fell again. He got up once more, more slowly this time.

"Persistant brat." X made a third motion, and Megaman fell again. An audible cry was heard this time. Megaman began to get up again. "Why do you continue to get up? What drives you? Love? Hate? Rage? All pointless in the end. What is your purpose, your cause?" Megaman stood again and hesitated.

"I continue because I choose to. Lan, lend me your power... one last time." Lan nodded and engaged LifeSyncro. Megaman's body began to take on its de-rezzing appearance as the power surged through him. He stood up a little straighter. At the same time, incredible fatigue pounded through Lan. It was all he could do to keep concious.

_This... is what he was going through?_ Lan thought. Megaman nodded.

_I'm stronger than you think._

"Depressing. I can't do a thing about that one." X smirked. "Take me. I dare you. You've got no power left." Megaman shook his head.

"You're right. Not of myself. But my family, my friends, they're there to support me. I can be an empty shell, because I know they'll control me just like I would control myself." X laughed.

"Armageddon!" X called a multitude of projectiles from behind him onto Megaman. He formed a shield with his stray data and blocked them. Then he felt a sharp, immense pain from behind. The fell to the ground, tons of tiny spines sticking out of his back. The same projectiles had come from behind him, too. Lan felt the pain as well, and screamed out. Maylu took his hand.

"Lan..." Lan looked up into her eyes.

"Maylu... Please. Help me." She bent down and their lips locked in a kiss. She could feel their souls twining, their minds becoming one.

"Is this...?" Lan nodded.

"This is the power of LifeSyncro." Maylu weakly fell on Lan's lap, her strength channeling into Megaman. He held her close and closed his eyes. A soft glow came from the two of them. The same pink glow enveloped Megaman, healing his wounds. He stood up, faster than before.

"So it is love that drives you." X said. Megaman shook his head.

"No. I told you, I continue because I choose. I believe what I'm doing is right. Love is what fuels me." Then he could feel a third presence, other than Lan and Maylu's. Roll?

_I'm here, Megaman._ Megaman smiled and stood a bit straighter. Thank you all for helping me.

"We're here too." Megaman heard Chaud's voice join in.

"Me too." Yai.

"We're in." Glyde and Protoman.

"Don't forget us." Sean and Theman.

"I'll be by your side." Lana.

"Go for it and come home alive." Haruka and Dr. Hikari.

"Good luck." Even Dat and Jasper. But one piece was still missing.

"Megaman... I'm on... your side." These words struggled to come from X's mouth, but they came out anyway.

"Thank you, Gen." Megaman's pink glow was stronger than ever now. "Lan, send me the strongest Elec chips you've got."

"But isn't...?" Megaman silenced him.

"Yeah." Lan gave him a crazed look.

"AntiElec, Thunder3, Lightning, BattleChips in! Triple download!" Megaman touched his symbol to engage the broken system. A lightning storm erupted from him, initiating the change. His new form had a yellow bodysuit that was neither really bright or really dark, with near-black shoulderpads. His gloves and boots were a light red, and his hair had a yellow tint. It had split into more spikes than normal, as well. His helmet and armor became more streamlined, and his pack flattened and got taller. Megaman was slightly taller as well. His mouthguard was up, and it was a stunning neon green. Arcs of lightning coursed along his body every so often. It was extremely breathtaking.

"This is the RapidStream FormStyle." Megaman said. "Dare you face me now?"


	38. My Story

**Queen Sunstar:** Erm... No. I probably should... but I'm just too lazy... I will soon, though. Thanks for the praise, yet again! ^^

**Hakuryuken: **Not the X you're thinking of. This X is a perfect copy of Megaman, with enhanced abilities. He's no reploid. And thanks for the praise, man.

**LeaveFishysWishbones: **You're welcome. =p

**KK the Prophet: **Indeed, poor Bass...

**

* * *

CHAPTER 38 : My Story**

"This is the RapidStream FormStyle." Megaman said. "Dare you face me now?" Lan was reading the PET diagnostics.

"Megaman, your power is surging higher than I've ever seen it!" Megaman nodded.

"If there's anything that can defeat X now, this is it."

"It's a shame. I didn't think you'd regain so much power, so I didn't bother with Engage." X smirked. "I suppose it doesn't matter now. Engage!" X formed a BattleChip between his hands and inserted it into his NaviMark. It began to glow, but it quickly subsided. Nothing had changed. "You were expecting results like you saw in Gen?" X laughed once. "As if. The Engage System was designed specifically for me, modifying certain unique regions in memory. Used by any other Navi, the results are completely unknown and likely to be fatal." X was suddenly behind Megaman and ran him through with an insubstantial blade. He pulled the wavering weapon out of Megaman's back, and it faded back into nothingness as Megaman fell to his knees. "Do you see? You can't fight something that doesn't exist. When I use Engage, I gain the ability to bend the rules of the Net so far they just about break, along with increased speed and strength. It was designed by the best... just as I was. Designed to kill you." X grinned a sickly, wicked grin. It was clear he had gone mad with power.

"That's where you're horribly wrong." Megaman's voice came from all around. X looked around, clearly surprised. The Megaman that X had stabbed vanished from sight. "Good luck hitting something you can't catch. I don't call this FormStyle RapidStream for nothing. This FormStyle allows transportation of data instead of being limited by walking, running, etc. In the blink of an eye, I can be anywhere in the Net, with no travel time whatsoever."

"So that's how your voice comes from everywhere. You're moving around the area so fast that you make at least one round faster than each sound reaches me. Which is an incredible feat here in the Net, where the speed of sound is as fast as the current processor allows it. No wonder I can't see you." Megaman appeared in front of X for a fraction of a second and punched him in the face, causing the lookalike to stagger back a few steps. Then Megaman was gone.

"As I said, good luck hitting something you can't catch." X just smiled.

"This is what would have saved Lana and Gen. If Lana just used this chip, it would have all been over. She would have been loyal to me, and you would have been dead. Such a shame. But if I hit everything, I'll have to hit you." X formed a pitch-black chip between his hands this time. "DarkChip Armageddon!" The colors in the netspace around X inverted for a moment, then a huge explosion erupted from him, engulfing the entire battlefield in dark flames.

"Not even a scratch," Megaman's disembodied voice replied. "You're still not fast enough. Listen to me. I can reach every point in this CompSpace faster than it can compute it. I'm there and gone before it has a chance to notice if I ran into anything or not. You can hit every single point at exactly the same time, and still not hit me. My speed transcends all planes this computer can recognize."

"Then how, pray tell, can you still exist?" X smirked upon asking this question.

"You didn't listen. I said that I transcend all planes this computer can recognize. But even if it can't recognize it, I can still use processor time. Such is the stupidity of computers."

"But you are damaged, are you not?"

"No. You never touched me, I just made it look like you did. I dispersed some of my data, and made continuous cycles to it and back, causing neither part to dissipate."

"Megaman! Megaman..." Lan's voice rasped over the PET intercom. "You can't continue to expand this energy... I'm nearly out of Elec-type chips, and our bodies are fading, as well."

"Understood, Lan." Megaman appeared twenty feet in front of X. "Let's fight, then."

"DoubleSoul ThunderSoul, NaviChip in!" Megaman waited for the transformation to take effect, but nothing happened. Lan looked at the PET quizzically. "DoubleSoul RollSoul, NaviChip in!" Again, nothing happened.

"Engage, TripleSoul ThunderRollSoul!" Megaman was astonished as X changed into the metallic pink of ThunderRollSoul. X laughed maniacally. "So much better than Bass's GetAbility, don't you think? Not only does it copy your Navi-specific powers, it prevents you from using them." Megaman nodded solemnly.

"But it didn't work on RapidStream because you hadn't used Engage yet."

"Now you're getting it!" X mocked Megaman's habit of stating the obvious. "Now that you don't have enough energy to teleport, we're on even ground." X smirked. "Thunder Arrow!" X formed ThunderRollSoul's steel pink bow and fired.

"Voltage Spread!" Megaman formed a neon green Shotgun buster and fired tens of yellow-purple bolts from it, eliminating X's arrow and raining down the shots on top of him. Megaman began to walk forward, buster ready. "Don't ever think you're on the same plane as me. You're a weak coward, you don't deserve to live." X smirked once again.

"No... I'm on a much higher plane! I have power you haven't even dreamed of!" X screamed as a dark aura emerged from him, changing ThunderRollSoul's steely pink into a metallic purple and deepening his grey to near-black. "These are the abilities of darkness! This is the true power of DoubleSoul, the fusion of friendship and darkness, the Chaos Unison!" X leveled his crossbow at Megaman again. "Poisoned Lightning!" A purple-grey arrow flew from the bow as he said the words. Megaman fired his buster, but it did little damage to the arrow or to X. The bolt hit him, turning the part of Megaman's body it hit purple. Megaman screamed and clutched the wound.

"Megaman!" Megaman regained himself quickly, although the immense pain was visible in his eyes.

"I'll be fine, Lan..." He turned back to X. "You'll have to do better than that."

"No, I won't. You underestimate my power." As X spoke, Megaman winced, his vision becoming blurry. He fell to his knees as darkness crept up from behind his eyes. He felt the electricity quickly building inside his body as the poison threatened him with unconsciousness.

"Megaman!" Lan shouted. "Megaman!!"

We're here for you.

I'm here for you.

_I'm right here._ The last voice gave Megaman the strength to look up at X, who was now right in front of him, his unreal sword poised to strike. The energy inside Megaman's body was becoming fatal. It seemed to be accelerated by the poison that was spreading throughout his body.

"Recovery...300." Some of Megaman's wounds were healed, and the poison dissipated. He quickly jumped out of the way of the sword as X plunged it where his body had been. "Barrier200, BattleChip in. Download!" A crystalline barrier surrounded Megaman as he began to charge a dense ball of electricity in his hand.

"That won't stop me!" X slashed his sword, taking down the barrier with one hit.

"I didn't need it to." You could see the veins in Megaman's hand as he struggled to keep the orb under control. Arcs of lightning coursed down his arm, feeding the sphere. "This is... SPARTA!!" X raised one eyebrow.

"Are you kidding me?"

"Absolutely. Voltage Stream!" Megaman joined his hands at the wrists, palms out, and launched the ball of electricity. It screamed at X with insane speed, ramming into him and sending him flying. X got up from the ground and wiped his mouth. The corner of it was de-rezzing.

"I guess it's time to get serious, isn't it? Chaos Blitz!" X glowed red for a moment, then he was suddenly in front of Megaman. He used the momentum of his dash to deliver a painful uppercut with his blade. Megaman gasped and staggered back under the pain of the blow, a deep gash de-rezzing from his left leg that curved under his NaviMark and ended at his right shoulder. "DarkThunder Flash!" X attacked with the dark version of ThunderRollSoul's standard attack, studding Megaman with small purple hearts and sending electricity coursing through his body. Megaman fell to his knees panting. He could hear his heart beating audibly through his skull, the lightning building up to fatal levels again.

"Any last words, Megaman?" X had his sword poised at Megaman again, ready to plunge it into his NaviMark.

"Program Advance... Dark Messiah." As soon as he spoke the words, he felt the energy that had been building beginning to recede, used to fuel the Program Advance. Gospel appeared behind Megaman and fired his four elemental blasts at the two Navis, then Bass proceeded to launch an Earthbreaker at X. When the attack finished, both Navis were lying on the ground, badly wounded. Megaman was missing his right arm and most of his right leg, along with a good percentage of his head and torso. X was missing almost all of the left side of his body, with various wounds along the right side. Neither of them had released their acquired forms to reduce the damage. X began to cackle manically.

"You've just wasted your body. The Roll part of Chaos Unison will heal my body soon, whereas you will just waste away uselessly." Megaman raised his head and used one arm to push himself up an inch.

"I... am not... useless. Never... will I ever... be useless!" X marveled at Megaman's fury as a golden-pink aura surrounded him. His body was repaired, and he stood. "My friends were willing to give their lives for me so that I could live. I won't ever let their sacrifices be in vain!!" Lan could barely check his PET screen, the pain was so intense. Maylu had long been unconscious, as had Roll, and he suspected most of the others at their various locations were as well. Through his darkening vision, he saw something extraordinary.

"Megaman... You did it. You've proven yourself to truly be one in a trillion. Good luck... Hub." And with that, Lan joined the rest and fell into unconsciousness.

--------------

X knew this would be the end. His power was indeed too great. Stronger than anything he had ever known, stronger even than Serenade, Lord of the Undernet. Stronger than Bass, stronger than the one known as Fortissimo, the Black God of Chaos, and certainly stronger than him. What was it that made him so strong? Was it the desperation? The pain? Was it really his friends, who would go to such extreme lengths to help him? Love?

"What... what is it that gives you your power?" X's eyes were wide, the confusion and fear showing plainly.

"My power comes from the bonds that I have with my friends, from their energy streaming across the philotes they have twined to me." X closed his eyes and smirked.

"The philotes. Invisible threads, the true lines of geometry, binding everything to everything else instantaneously. Animals and objects bound to the core of the earth, but humans bound to each other. I see it now." X opened his eyes again, a fire burning in them. He knew that this was the end... but he sure as hell wasn't going to go out without a fight. "DarkRecovery!" The dark healing power surrounded him, and coupled with the Roll part of his Chaos Unison, it healed his body enough to stand. He began to charge the remains of his energy.

"Final Formation." Megaman held his hand up as the attack began. The ghosts of Fireman, Elecman, Thunderman, Woodman, Medi, Roll, Iceman, Shadowman, Tomahawkman, Gyroman, Protoman, Gutsman, Searchman, Magicman, Colonel, and Magnetman appeared by Megaman, ready to attack. Suddenly, X went into strange spasms.

"No... No!! Generation Splitter!" X attacked with the dark version of Gen's attack, making a slice in the air with his fingertips. It struck Megaman, creating another deep gash across his chest. But as the attack finished, Gen's ghost joined those of the other Navis.

"Thanks for freeing me." Gen said. Megaman nodded.

"Ironic, huh?" Gen nodded. "Good to have you on this side this time." Megaman lowered his hand, and the Navis charged. Magnetman paralyzed X, and the other Navis used their standard attacks.

"FireArm!"

"Electric Burn!"

"Holy Thunder!"

"Wood Tower!"

"Medi Capsule!

"Roll Flash!"

"Blizzard!"

"Shuriken Needles!"

"Tomahawk Throw!"

"Tornado!"

"NeoVariable Sword!"

"Guts Hammer!"

"Search Shot!"

"Magic Fire!" Colonel said nothing, he only slashed X with his lance.

"Generation Splitter!" The version of the attack Gen used was the light version, with the shockwaves. All the Navis disappeared, and Bass appeared to use Earthbreaker.

"Game over." Bass fired his Gospel Cannon, nearly finishing X. He lay on the ground, completely immobile and de-rezzing everywhere. Megaman approached him.

"Good job... Megaman... I salute you." With those words, X vanished, unable to keep his hold on life. Megaman saluted back to the empty space, and collapsed into unconsciousness.

--------------

It took weeks, but everything was able to return to normal. All of the friends that helped Megaman in his last battle had to be hospitalized for at least a few days, but Maylu, Lana, and I were in for a week each. Megaman had extensive damage done to him, but it was able to be repaired. The only evidence the battle had ever taken place was a hairline scar running up Megaman, from his leg to his shoulder, only visible when it caught the light. Maylu and I had scars from the ordeal, in matching places. While we were in the hospital, we met a nurse named Elizabeth Rior, known as Liza, and her Navi Crystalman, whom she calls Crys. She became fast friends with us, and quickly joined us in our adventures. Lana was introduced to Mom as my cousin, and she lives with my family now. Maylu and I are nearly inseparable now, but Roll and Megaman aren't as close as Megaman wishes they could be. They're making progress, though, and Roll is beginning to see her illogic in holding him responsible for his death. Bass was freed when X was destroyed, as he was only forced to control Pulse from a remote location. His mind had been altered and transmitted to Pulse's body, causing him to believe he was Pulse.

"I love you, Maylu." I nuzzled my cheek against hers as we laid in my bed.

"Love you too, Lan. Good night." She kissed me lightly and closed her eyes. I couldn't help but notice her angelic beauty as she laid there.

"'Night." I wrapped my arms around her, and she smiled.

I am Lan Hikari, and this is my story.

* * *

**Thanks for reading!**

Well... Happy? Is this the end? I am asking you, the readers, to give me anything you'd like tied up, and if I so desire, I'll tie it up. This could be the end... and at the same time, it could be just the beginning. From now on, I'll reply to signed reviews by PM, and unsigned reviews... will go unreplyed to. Unless they actually say something that others need to know, and then I'll have to edit this chapter to reply. Again, thanks for reading, everyone, and have a very good day!

I'm asking everyone who has ever reviewed, everyone who ever favorited me or my story, everyone who has an alert, to review this one time. Tell me what you liked, didn't like, want answered, etc. It's almost frustrating knowing how many people have read this and never said a word! Please... just this once? For me?


End file.
